1 









£ilmmi of tfonflrw. 

UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. 















. 



C^. °^ *- W BRIEF y 

VIEWS OF THE SAVIOUR, 



WITH 



REFLECTIONS ON HIS DOCTRINES, PARABLES, 



ETC. 



DESIGNED CHIEFLY 



FOR THE YOUNG. 



BY O/ArTAYLOR, A. M. 



ANDOVER: 

PUBLISHED BY GOULD AND NEWMAN. 
1835. 



3~Ta 02 - 
-fan 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1835, 

By Gould and Newman, 

m the Clork's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts 






PREFACE 



Running my eye, several months since, over some 
German pamphlets which lay in the corner of a book- 
store, I came across the " Life of Jesus, for Children : 
by J. F. Feddersen, Court and Cathedral Preacher at 
Brunswick." In form and general execution it was 
rather repulsive ; but the words, Seventh Edition, to- 
gether with the lateness of the date (1827,) attracted 
my attention, and led me to suppose it a valuable work 
for the purpose originally intended. In this supposi- 
tion I was confirmed by the preface. " The Life of 
Jesus by Feddersen," it was there said, by its editor, 
a friend of the deceased author, " met with much ap- 
probation, soon after its first appearance, in 1775. It 
was translated into several languages, introduced into 
many Protestant schools as a reading-book, and not on- 
ly recommended but employed by Roman Catholic 
teachers." I also found the work interesting in itself. 
Faults indeed it had. It was altogether too dry and 
didactic in its style. It was characterized, however, by 
simplicity as well as by a tasteful and appropriate se- 
lection of matter, every where bore marks of genuine 
piety, and seemed to me worthy of a translation. 

On sitting down, however, at some leisure moments, 
to give it an English dress, I soon found, that with all 



PRE1 



its ezceOi nothing could be made of it in 

thifl I therefore relinquished the task, and avail- 

I 'of the author's plan and general train, gave 
myself up to my own thoughts; the consequence of 
which is, thai 1 of a little pamphlet exclusively 

for children in a rude form, and with few or very care- 
less divisions, 1 here have a book, regularly marked oft' 
into parts and sections, designed for children in part, 
but rather for the more advanced young, and 1 would 
lain hope worthy of being read by others ; for the mat- 
ter and execution of which 1 must in the main be re- 
ded as responsible. Part first, containing a short 
life of Jesus, is an exception. I have indeed, added 
various circumstances, modified several exegctical or 
historical expressions, and no where confined myself to 
a mere translation ; but the order in which the mate- 
rials are presented, the harmony of the Gospels here 
brought to view, is Feddersen's. 1 should myself in- 
deed, in some cases, have much preferred a different 
arrangement. Mark also as exceptions, the paraphrase 
of Christ's Sermon on the Mount, p. 64 ; more or less 
of Sec. XX. p. 121 ; the most of Sec. II. p. 140 ; the 
paraphrase of parts of Jesus' last discourse with his 
disciples, p. 199 ; many of the prayers, etc. They be- 
belong rather to Feddersen than to myself. Some of 
the poetry may also be added, as to which, however, see 
Note II. As to the rest, I must in the main lay claim 
to it. Thus Sec. XII. p. 83, contains of Feddersen's 
only what is to be found in six or eight lines on page 
84 ; and this is about the amount of his to be found in 
Sec. XIV. p. 90; Sec. XXI. p. 126 ; Sec. XXII. p. 



PIUFA( \ 

12! . XXIII. n. 131; Sec. XT. p. 167; while Sees. 

XXIV. p. 136; IX. p. 1G2; XVI. p. 181 ; XXII. p. 
197, and XV. p. 240, of Feddersen?*, contain nothing* 

I mention these only as specimens. From them some 
judgment may be formed as to the rest. The truth is, 
I have in general made use of the original merely as a 
hook of hints, and it contains little or nothing more, not 
even a single illustration. To render the whole as use- 
ful as possible, I have in the table of contents, given the 
principal Scripture-references, and marked the geo- 
graphical names which designate the Savior's journeys, 
in italics, added two or three Notes, and an Index. 

In regard to style and thought, I must confess that I 
have not sought much after monosyllables, nor always 
been careful either to chain the mind dow~n to the earth, 
or to have every thing fully developed. Why should 
the lad not accasionally meet with hard words, and find 
something which demands patient thinking, provided 
there is enough plain to allure him on ? The mature 
scholar discovers new 7 beauties and intellectual fountains 
in his Virgil, every time he reviews it ; and yet, if he 
loved the study, he found enough there to interest and 
delight even when he was a lad. The young Christian 
understands something of the Gospel, and yet this same 
Gospel furnishes ample employment for the most able 
pupils in the school of Christ. Put always into the 
hands of a lad, if possible, a book, which, while it in- 
terests and improves his youthful mind, has ample trea- 
sures for the investigation of maturer years. Let its 
sentences resemble little gates, which, on being opened, 

1* 



vi PREFACE. 

usher him at once, into rich gardens and extended 
land over which he may ramble at pleasure, find- 

ing on every Bide, new flowers to examine, mountains 
to climb, and livers, vales and woods to explore. Give 
him, also to understand that if he would become a gen- 
uine thinker, he must learn at once to meet difficulties 
with courage, and habituate himself to patient investi- 
.011. It is not enough that he survey the garden 
m a corner, or the landscape from some mountain's 
top. He will know hut little about them until every 
thing is fairly explored, the fields have been crossed, 
the valleys visited, the woods penetrated, and every 
curious rock carefully surveyed. 

[ cannot flatter myself indeed that this little book is 
to any great extent of the above character. I rather 
fear it has too much of the opposite. As the Bible, 
however, is such a book, and much of what I have 
written is from the Bible, it would be somewhat strange 
if there were not some sentences in this respect, resem- 
bling the sacred original. Whatever its character, how- 
ever, I commit it to the world. That I should feel some 
solicitude as to its reception, is natural. I dedicate it to 
him of whom it treats, and hope, that with all its im- 
perfections, he will accept of it, and turn it to account 
in building up his kingdom. 

OLIVER A. TAYLOR. 

Tlieol. Bem. .Vidovcr, 
Jan. 



CONTENTS, ETC 



PART I. 



A short History of Jesus' Life, 13 — 40 

Sec. [. From his birth to his thirtieth, year. 

Born at Bethlehem — Visited by the Shepherds — [Presented in the 

temple, see p. 48] — Visited by the wise men — Carried into Egypt 

— Brought back to Nazareth — Goes up to Jerusalem in his 12th 

year, and converses with the teachers in the temple — Character, 

etc. a 13—16 

a Matt. I. and II. Luke I. and II. 

Sec II. From Jesus' baptism to his beginning to teach. 

John begins his ministry, a — Jesus comes from Nazareth to him [in 
Bethabara] beyond Jordan to be baptized — The vision seen and 
voice heard, b — John's testimony respecting him, c — Goes into the 
desert [probably of Judca] and is tempted of the devil, d — Returns 
to Jordan — Chooses some disciples, e . .17 — 18 

a Matt. 3: 1—12. Mark 1: 1—8. Luke 3: 1—18. b Matt. 3: J 3— 17. Mark 1: 9— 
11. Luke 3: 21— 23. John 1: 28. c John 1: 15— 36. d Matt. 4: 1— 11. Mark 1: 12, 
13. Luke 4: 1—13. e John 1: 37—51. 

Sec III. Jesus' first year as a teacher. 

Jesus leaves Jordan with these disciples for Galilee, a [probably call- 
ing at Nazareth] — Changes water into wine at Cana, b — Goes down 
to Capernaum , c — Thence up for the first time, as a teacher, to the 
Feast of the Passover at Jerusalem, d — Here he cleanses the tem- 
ple, performs various miracles, and converses with Nicodemus, e 
— Travels into various parts of Judca, teaching,/ — John filled with 
joy at what he hears of him, but is soon afterwards thrown into 
prison, or — Jesus not long after this, passing through [Sychar in] 
Samaria, h returns to Galilee, i — Visits Cana, and heals a noble- 
man's son. j — Xazareth also, but is badly received, h — And finally 
takes up his residence at Capernaum, I — Here and in the neigh- 
boring regions lie teaches and works miracles — At this time 
also he delivered his Sermon on the Mount, healed a leper, etc. 
taught out of Peter's ship, healed a second leper, stilled a tempest, 
and healed a paralytic, m 10 — 22 

a John 1: 43. b John 2: 1—11. c John 2: 12. d John 2: 13. e John 2: 14—25. 
3: 1—21. / John 3: 22. 4: 1, 2. g John 3. 23—36. Compare Matt. 4: 12. Mark 1: 14. 
Luke 3: 19, 20. h John 4:5—42. i John 4: 1—3. Comp. Matt. 4: 12. Mark 1: 14, 15. 
Luke 4: 14, 15. John 4: 43—45. j John 4: 46—54. k Matt. 4: 13. Luke 4: 16—30. 
I Luke 4:31. Matt. 4: J3— 1C. m Malt. 4: 17—25. 5:— 8: 1—17. 9:1—8. Mark 1: 14— 
-15. 2: 1—12. Luke 4: 31—44. 5: 1—26. N. B. As to the tempest uncertain. It be- 
longs rather to the next section. It would seem, Matt. 8: 18—34. Mark 4: 35—41. 
Luke 8; 22— 25. « 



ND 

1 \ . J 

I infirm mail of Beth< "rn — 

TBe wither* ~ Gt nnesan tii 

W li ' vo, c 

iiunt. Com- 
pile cen- 
turion, I the 8ea t j 
— Raises the etc. // — Re- 

\eur- 
gh (iu'ihi fc— John behead- 

i and 

re mi race i a multitude — The i to make 

him king — Walk* to his discipli aum in a 

roa on the sea — They reach first the land of ( reik, M — 

m, n 

II. Mark .3: 1—12. Luke C: I— II. 

: 1—10. 

/ Luke 7:11 — 17. ./'It would Mem Mark 5:1—5 . However, 

Matt. & 18— 31. I . — n mi. I r belong here than to 

29—39. 

I— ft i Matt. . i Matt. 9:35. Mark 6:6. Luke&J 

. L— 42. Mark G: 7—13, 30. Luke !>: J— 6. 10. I Matt. 

1-1: 8— 12. Mark 6: 21—29. Luke 9: 9. m Matt, i i: 13—36. Mark o: 31—56. Luko 

9 10—17. John & |— SI. n 1 

Ja u third year as a teacher. 

a — Also i ivolis, 

and \v. : Sails to llitha or . <;. 

Thence to the northern Bethsaida— Makes an 

6 — I lis transfiguration, e — Goes up to the feast of Tiber- 
al Jerusalem! d — Leaves Jerusalem for Galilee — Returning 
salon, is inhospitably treated by the Samaritans, c — 
Sends ont I lies his disci- 

ples to pray, h — Goes up to the ! 'the Dedication, i — With- 

draw \ra onii: ... 27 — 30 

3 
Luke 17: 1—21, ete. Mark 

d Jok lft I — 21. 4 

S Luke \ ! • 1—13, etc. i John 

VI. The last days ofJi . 

dm win-- m ar, J bu is np taU m 

[thr Stops at J ny and raises La- 

zarus, a— B« ing in danger of the Jews, he retin .> to Ephraim, i>— 
Ephraim, passing through Jericho, c .... 30 — W2 

I -l \i. 1—5! wii. II, ete. b John \i. 54. t Mr , etc. Murk x. 

. [). John aii. l—ll. 
D-.-VII. 

On :i siem, weeping ov< b he catches 



it — In the evening returns to Bethany — On Monday re- 
visits Jerusalem t but retires a jam in the evening — What he doen 
in Jerusalem on Tuesday — On Wednesday— Also the transactions 
of Thursday, the institution of the last Supper, etc. a . 32 — 34 

a Matt, xxi.— v.w. x.wi. 1— 29. Ma;k \i.— xiii. «▼. 1— 85. Luke xix. 28— 48. 
xx. xxi. zxii. 1—38. Julm xii. 151—50. xiii. 

. VI II. Jesus* last sufferings and death. 

.oil address and the scene of Gethsemane — Betrayed by Ju- 
and led away to be tried — Male h us healed — Falsely accused, 
and abused — Denied by Peter — Before Pilate — Before Herod — 
•urged, etc. — Finally condemned instead of Barabbas — His cru- 
cifixion and miraculous death, a 35 — 39 

Lit xxvi. 30—75. xxvii. 1—56. Mark xiv. 26—72. xv. 1 — 41. Luke xxii. 39 
—71. xxiii. 1—49. John xiv. — ::ix. 1 — 37. 

Sec. IX. Burial) resurrection and ascension of Jesus. 

His burial — Guards placed around his tomb — He arises, however, on 
the third day — Appears to many — Blesses his disciples — And as- 
cends to heaven, a 39 — 40 

a Matt, xxvii. 57—06. xxviii. Mark xv. 42—47. xvi. Luke xxiii. 50—56. xxiv. 
\ix. 38—42. xx. xxi. Acts i. 1—11. 



PART IL 

I. Reflections on the Life of Jesus, 41 — 63 

Sec I. Must become truly acquainted with Jesus. 
Two reasons in particular why, 41 — 45 

Sec II. On the birth of Jesus. 

Five reasons why we should believe Jesus something more than a 
mere man — Reflections — Poetry — Prayerful resolve, . . 45 — 50 

Sec III. The persecution of Jesus when a child. 

Forced to go into Egypt to escape Herod — The reader's happy lot — 

Hymn, a 51—52 

a Rev. xxii. 1. 

Sec IV. The youth of Jesus. 
His example in the temple when 12 years of age — A resolve — How 
he spent his earlier years — Hymn, 53 — 55 

Sec V. The baptism of Jesus. 
Circumstances respecting it in favor of the divine character of Je- 
sus — The Lamb of God — The voice from heaven Prayerful 

thoughts, 55 — 57 



I CONTENTS AND 

Si«. VI. The temptation of Jesus, 

Ai to SpiriU — Jesni tempted — Wc are exposed to temptation! — 

•<r — Sii directions in regard to temptation! — The sto- 

r} r of Elizabeth, oi God will Ste m< — The danger of temptation il- 

loatrated, or a rash youth — Scriptural allusions, • • 57 — 03 

II. EtxpLXCTioMfl on Jbsi »' Docteihs!, 63 

Sic. VII. Introductory Remarks, 63 

VIII. Christ'! Sermon on the Mount paraphrazed, « — Its doc- 
trines noble — Happy and unhappy families — Questions put to the 

a Matt. v. I— 19. 



conscience, 04 — 68 



Sec IX. Sermon on the Mount continued. 
Letting one's light shine, a — Swearing, b — The praise of men not 
to be sought, etc, — God sees and will reward — Should practice 
what we learn — The end of wicked children— Hymn, 09 — 72 

a Matt. v. 14— JG. b Matt. v. 33—37. c Matt. vi. 1—1. 

Sec X. Prayer. 

enefit! — Jesus prayed — Errors to be avoided, a — The Lord's 
prayer, b — How to pray — May pray with confidence, c — Blessings 
thence resulting, d 72 — 76 

a Matt. \i. 5—8. b Matt vi. 9—13. Com p. Luke .\i. 1—4. c Matt. vi. 14. 16? 
\i 5—13. d Pi. will. 

Sec. XL The late of reward* 

A trait of human nature — A rule of God's government — Illustrated, a 
— Of judging others, b 78 — 83 

[att. rii.2. Luke vi. 38. Compare Matt. xwi. 58. Gen. xlii.il— 24. Esther 
vii. 9, 10. Dan. vi. 24. b Matt. vii. 1—5. Luke vi. 37 — 12. 

Sec XII. Si t k first the kingdom of hi a m n. 
The exhortation, a — A happy island — The surpassing charms of 
heaven — The only way of obtaining it, B3 — ^7 

a Matt, vi.33. 

8e< . XI II. Caution against deception* 

Of de< -The flatterer — A rule for our conduct, << — Youth not 

to dissemble — Heaven lias no deceivers — David*! prayer j Search 

. h 87—90 

./ Matt vii. 15—29. Luke vi. 43—19. b Ps. 

< XIV, Of trusting in Prot 
lorrowful — Adviee to aoch — A lesson from the flowers and bird! 
— The cate of Mr Park — Prayer — The benefit of trusting in God 



REFERENCES. XI 

— Obedience necessary to confidence — God's feelings towards 
us, a— Hymn, 90—96 

a Matt. vi. 19—34. 

III. Reflections upon PARTICULAR doctrines, . . . 97 — 128 

Sec. XV. On a true knowledge of God, etc. 

I. Must know God and Jesus— His words, a — II. Must know that 

Jesus sent of God, etc. — How he proved it — III. Must believe in 

Jesus — Faith illustrated ; the medicine ; the ferry : the precipice 

—The effects of faith, etc.— Prayer, 97—104 

a John xvii. 3. 

Sec. XVI. The feelings and conduct of a believer. 
Mistakes in this case — Sad result of making them — What consti- 
tutes a Christian, a 105 — 107 

a Luke xviii. 18-30. Matt. vii. 22. Luke xiv. 25-35. 

Sec. XVII. Love to God and one' s Neighbor . 
The essence of virtue — Jesus' words to a Pharisee upon this subject 
—Illustrated, a— Exhortation, 107—111 

a Matt. xxii. 3G— 40. Mark xii. 28—34. 

Sec. XVIII. Do you love Jesus f 
Few it is to be feared really do — The poor man of Denmark — Death, 
to whom pleasant, a . Ill — 113 

a John xxi. 15, etc. 

Sec. XIX. What Jesus farther taught of love to one's neighbor. 
Why particular instruction necessary — I. Those above us to be hon- 
ored — How to make filial obedience pleasant — The effects of filial 
disobedience and the contrary — II. We are to be kind and oblig- 
ing — The golden rule, a — The Indian and the two white boys — 
The schoolmaster's father, etc. b — III. We must show meekness 
and love to our enemies — IV. Must preserve a forgiving spirit — 
Prayer and resolve — Hymn, 113 — 121 

a Matt. vii. 12. b Luke xvi. 19—31. 

Sec. XX. Watchfulness, temperance, and man-pleasing. 
Prayerful watchfulness greatly neglected by the young — I. Must 
watch against intemperance — II. Must watch over our general 
conduct — [II. Must guard against sinful man-pleasing, 121 — 125 

Sec. XXI. The word of God. 
The Savior exhorts us to attend to it — Its value — To be daily read 
and studied — A sure guide — Hymn, a 126 — 128 

a Luke xvi. 31. John v. 39—47. 



XU CONTENTS WD 

IV. B OTHER 1 . . 1 29 — 1 3^ 

Bec. XXII. 1 's. 

The guardians of children, a — Superstitious fears wicked — The 
Christian always title, b ...... 129 — 131 

a .Matt, xviii. 10—11. b Gen. xxviii. 10 — 02. 9 Kings vi. 17. Pi. xxxiv. 7. 

Sf.< . XXIII. Tkt resurrection and last Judgment . 

Announced by Jesus— Th< final scene — Fearful to the wicked — Joy- 
ful to the good — True honor — A prayer — Hymn, a . 131 — 135 

a Matt, xxii.23— 33. Markxii. 18-27. Lake XX. 27— 38. Matt. xxv. 31— W. 

Sec. XXIV. Eternal J 
I nm bound to eternity — The joy anticipated — Bunyan's Pilgrims. — 
Prayer— Hymn. 135—138 

PART III. 

1. The Parart.es of Jesus, ..... 139— 1G6 

Sec I. Introductory remarks, . . . . .13'' 

Six. II. The lost son. 

Obtains his share of the eel its and leaves — Wasting it all, is reduced 
to want — Repents and returns — Is kindly received except by hil 
eldest brother, a 140— 14^2 

a Luke xv. 1 1 — ;j .'. 

Se< . III. Reflections. 

The parable praised, a — Shows the kindness of God — The heaven 
ly family take an interest in us — The consequences of dissipation 
— Visiting the hospital — A caution — Gellert's lines, a — Parental 
chastisement — How a child may obtain genuine pleasure — Youths 
who have already broken the hearts of their parents — A case rela- 
ted — The proper course for such penitents — Prayer. . 143—150 

a Fee Note I. 

Sec. IV. The servants with different talents. 
The rich man, his servants, and their talents — Their conduct — What 
we are here taught, a ...... 151 — 1 C»L? 

a Matt. xw. M— 30. 

Bec. V. Tlu rich man and Lazarus, 

What we are here taught— The wicked not the best off. because they 
the best in this world — The reward comes hereafter — Tin 
iluence this should have — Poetry C . 
a Luke svi, 19 



XIII 

c. VI. The mirciful Samaritan 

Explanatory facts— Our duty to lovo others here admirably sot forth 
— We are to assist even our enemies — Hymn, a . 155 — 157 

■ Luke 10: k Jf>— 37. 

Sec. VII. Tki 
The seed on a hard soil — an obstinate youth — Repentance came too 
late, 41 157—159 

a Matt. 13: 1—03. Mark 4: 1—80. Luko 8: 4-15. 

Sec VIII. The Laborers in the Vineyard. 

A master hired persons at different times in the day to work in hi:? 
Vineyard — He paid them all the same price — The ill-will it ex- 
cited — Five things taught us in this parable — Hymn, a 159 — 162 

a Matt. 20: 1— 1G. 

Sec. IX. Perseverance in Prayer. 
The friend in want — His importunity prevailed — Importunity more 
prevalent with God, a — The poor widow and the unjust judge, b — 
God will attend to his beloved, etc. . . . . 162 — 164 
a Luke 11: 1—13. b Luke 18: 1—8. 

Sec X. The good master and the hard servant. 
Readiness to forgive — Jesus' compassion — Hymn, a . . 164 — 166 
, a Matt. 18: 15—35. See Note I. p. 258. 

II. Reflections on particular discourses and parables, 167-174 

Sec XL On Death. 

Though young, I may die — The case of the worldling, a — My play- 
mates — My walk in the graveyard — My sister Olive's morning- 
glory — Poetry on it, 167 — 169 

a Luke 12: 15—21. 

Sec XII. On Humility. 

An excellent rule, etc. — Cause of quarrels among school-boys — The 
Publican and Pharisee — Conclusion, a . . . 169 — 171 

a Luke 14: 7—11. 18: 9—14. 

Sec XIII. The great love of God. 

The lost sheep and money — The Son of Man came to seek and to 
save his lost sheep — His love for his friends — Hymn, a 171 — 174 

a Luke 15: 1—10. 

III. Hints and examples, . . . . . . 175 — 199 

Sec XIV. Youthful pleasures. 

Jesus loved and recommended cheerfulness, a — Religion therefore 
not gloomy, b — Christians the best right to feel cheerful — Must 

b 



XIV N IKNTS AND 

guard however against worldly deliglit — Duty not to be neglecteu 
for pleasure — God always se^- o Christian pleasure, 1 7."> — 17-^ 

a John 2. I — 1 1 . I Matt ft 16—18. Cm. pare Eccl. 11: 9, 10. 12: 

B«c. XV. Peter andtke miraculous draught of fishes. 

The case stated, a — We are not certainly forsaken of God because 
thing! fro hard with us — Human efforts must iiave God's bl 
ing,l . . 178-181 

a Luke 5: 1—11. Comp. Matt. 4: 18—22. Mark 1. 1G— 20. b Ph. exxvii. 
Sec XVI. The icidoic's son of JVotft. 
The scene described, a — Man resembles a flower,/' — Hymn, 181-182 
a Luke 7: 11—17. b Job 11: 2. Compare on page 167. 
Sec. XVII. Refections on Prayer. 
Jesus often asked to relieve — I also will ever go to him — If unan- 
swered, not murmur — If answered, guard against pride, a 184-1 35 

a Matt. 11:28—30. Matt. 15: 21—28. Mark 7: 24—30. Matt. 8:5—13. Luke 7: 1-10. 
Sec XVIII. The last coming of Jesus to Jerusalem. 

The joy of the occasion — Jesus wept over Jerusalem — We should be 
joyful for the Gospel — The hosannas of children very acceptable 
to Jesus — His last coming to judgment, a . . 18C — 189 

a Matt. 21: 1—11. Mark 11: 1—10. Luke 19: 28—44. Ps. 8: 2. 

Sec XIX. The doings of Jesus in the Temple. 

Drove out the traders — The house of God a sacred place — The feel- 
ings we should have there, etc. a 189 — 191 

a John 2: 13—22. (Compared with Matt. 21: 12, 13. Mark 11: 15—18. Luke 19: 
45, 46.) Ps. 93: 5. 

Sec XX. Humility. 

The little child an example — Must become like one, to enter heaven 
— Proper feelings, a . ..... 191 — 19*2 

a Matt. 18: 1—6. Mark 9: 33—37. Luke 9: 46—48. Comp. Luko 18. 15—17. 

Sec XXI. Affliction. 
Many afflicted in the time of Jesus — Cases supposed — Benefits of 
affliction — Proper state of feeling — Hymn, a . . 193 — 196 

a Matt. 15: 21—28. Mark 7: 24—30. Matt. 17; 14—21. Mark 9: 14—29. Luke 9: 
37—43. Lam. 3: 27. John 16.33. 

Sec. XXII. Kotmywill but thine he done. 
A visit to Gethsemane — God does all things well — Hymn, a 197-19S 
a Matt. 26: 36—46. Mark 14: 32—42. Luke 22: 39—46. John 18.- 1,2. 

IV Sec XXIII. Last discourse of Jesus with his disciples. 

Paraphrazed — Deserves attention as our best friend's, a 199 — 202 

u John 13: 15. ^Comparo 1—11 17.34,36. 14: 1.2.3.6.21,22,23. 15:9, 10. 1'}, 
0. 33, 16 7, 13. 33. 



RFFERENCi:s XT 

PART IV. 
I. The vm-rrEs ok Jkius 903—234 

Sec. I. Introductory remarks , 203—204 

Sec. II. The friendship of Jesus for children. 

What he said about them — Cases in which his love to them was ex- 
hibited— Comforting— Hymn, a .... 204—207 

a Matt. J8: 1 — 14. Mark 9: 40. Luke 17: 1,2. Matt. 19: 13—15. Mark 10: 13— 
1G. Luke 18: 15—17. 

Sec. III. The piety of Jesus. 
A perfect example — His love of truth when ] 2 years of age, a — Obe- 
dient to his Heavenly Father through life, b — How shown, c — The 
character of his zeal, d 207 — 'JO'.) 

a Luke 2: 40—52. b Johr. 12: 49, 50. 14: 31. 15: 10. 17; 4. c Comp. Heb. 10: 9. 
d Compare Mark 9: 14—19. Luke 9: 37—41. 

Sec. IV. The zeal of Jesus in prayer. 

He prayed much — Instances, a — Prayed acceptably, b — Surely then 
we ought to pray — How and for what — Prayer soothing — God an- 
swers in the best way, 210 — 213 

a Matt. 4: 1, 2. Mark 1: 12, 13. Luke 4: 1, 2. Matt. 14: 13, 23. Mark 6: 31, 32. 
46. Luke 9: 10, 18. John 11: 41,42. Matt. 26:36—46. Mark 14: 32—42. Luke 22: 
39_46. b Matt. 3: 16, 17. Mark 1; 10, 11. Luke 3; 21, 22. Also Matt. 17: 5. Mark 
9; 7. Luke 9: 28, 34, 35. John 12: 28. 

Sec. V. Zeal of Jesus in praise. 
Instances — Man naturally ungrateful — All have reason for gratitude 
— Thoughts to excite gratitude — Singing, a . . 214 — 216 

a Matt. 14: 19. Mark 6: 41. Luke 9: 16. John 6: 11. Matt. 26: 26, 27. Mark 14: 
22, 23. Luke 22: 19. 24; 30. John 11; 41. Matt. 26.- 30. Mark 14: 26. 

Sec. VI. The diligence of Jesus. 
Jesus always diligent — We should be — God can dispense with our 

labor, a 217—218 

a John iv. 32, 34. See Note I. p. 258. 

Sec. VII. Uprightness of Jesus, love of truth, etc. 

Jesus always lived and acted as he thought — His intercourse with 
the Pharisees — The consequences of these traits — Very few much 
like Jesus now — Hymn, a 219 — 221 

a Matt. x. 16. John i. 47. 

Sec. VIII. Compassion of Jesus for mankind. 
Came to suffer for them — Aided all who needed — Prayer, 221 — 223 

Sec. IX. Humility of Jesus. 

In childhood— In life— With his disciples— In death, a 224—225 

a John xiii. 1—17. Isa. Kii. 7. 



•XVI CONTENT* AND REFERENCES. 

' friend. 
His friends m Bethany — His disciples — The cases of John, Peter, 
and Jndsi — His friendship how evinced — A friend to all who love 
him — Seek virtuous friends, .... -227 

■ John ii. ri. 70,71. xiii. 10, ll, 18,21, etc. Mutt. xii. 4G— 50. Mark iii. 31— 35. 

Luke viii. J'J-- 

XI. The love of Jesus for tn< n 
Mankind whom he came to save, all his enemies — lived and labored 
among them — Wept over Jerusalem, a .... 228 

a Luke lix. 11— 1 1. 

Sec. XII. Jesus in his sufferings and death. 

I. To the last, full of holy love — Confidence and resignation — His 
last words — II. His conduct to his enemies — To Judas — Before 

rs — III. To his mother — Differently often do youths 
treat their aged parents — A widowed mother often disobeyed — The 
language of gratitude — Tobias — Hymn, a . . 229—234 

a Matt. xxvi. 50. Luke xxii. 48. John xix. 25—27. Tobit iv. 2—4. 

II. The conclusion of Jesus' life upon earth, . 235 — 248 

Sec. XIII. The resurrection of Jesus. 

Had Jesus not risen from the dead our faith would be in vain — That 

he has, no believer in the Bible can doubt — This proves him the 

Son of God — We may now rely upon his teachings, prophecies, 

promises, and a final resurrection, a . . . 235 — 237 

a 1 Cor. xv. 14. John xx. 1, 19, 2G. 

Sec. XIV. The ascension of Jesus to heaven. 
Confirms all our hopes — Gone to prepare for us — Should have strong 
faith in him — The day of judgment one of justice, a 237 — 240 

i at. xwiii. 16—90. Mark xvi. 11—20. Luko xxiv. 50—53. Acts i. 1—14 
lobn xiv. 3, 99. Matt. vii. 24—27. Luke vi. 47— 4 ( J. 

Sec. XV. Concluding remarks. 
\ full portrait of Jesus to be found only in heaven — He was evident- 
ly a most glorious personage, and in every respect, just such a Sa- 
vior Bl we need — All should fall in love with him as soon as they 
acquainted with him. — The majority treat him with neg- 
lect or contempt— But why ? — I. Not because he is cruel — II. Not 
because he is not long suffering — III. Not that he is not ready to 
jive— IV. Nor that he has ever sought to injure — He never 
sought to injure in person — His doctrines not injurious — Testimo- 
ny of infidels— Compared with heathenism — They would bless the 
dying mail and the world — The opposer must be crushed, a — The 
iter of life, 240—250 

li. 10. I I, with the preceding and following verses. Sec 
alxo Pi, EZXiii 9, and Note I. p. 25c*. 



PART I 



A SHORT HISTORY OF THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

SECTION I. 

From the birth of Jesus to his thirtieth year. 

Long before Jesus was born, God caused his birth to 
be announced by pious men, who, because God made 
them capable of foreknowing and foretelling many future 
events, are called prophets. All the descriptions which 
God caused to be given by them, of this future personage, 
prove that he was destined to be the greatest of bene- 
factors to mankind, to save them from sin and its punish- 
ment, to bring them to good, to render them pleasing to 
God, and to prepare them to go to heaven after this life. 

About four thousand years after the creation of the 
world, Jesus was born at Bethlehem. This was the 
very time that had been announced by the prophets, as 
the time of the birth of Jesus, and the very place that 
had been named by them as his birthplace. God in his 
wisdom had so ordered all this, that every one could cer- 
tainly know that Jesus was the real Messiah or king that 
had been promised by God ; for every thing happened to 
him exactly according to the word of God. The parents 
of Jesus were called Mary and Joseph. They were poor 
and humble in life, but very pious. 
2 



14 THE BARLT LIFE OF JESUS. 

At his birth, the following remarkable event took 
place. It was in the night, and there were shepherds in 
the fields with their docks. All of a sudden, there shone 
a great clear light round about them, at which they 
were very much afraid ; but in a moment, they heard 
the voice of an angel, who called to them not to be afraid, 
for he brought them the joyful news that the promised 
Savior was born ; and he told them that if they would only 
go to Bethlehem, they should there find the child in a 
stable and lying in a manger. Soon after, they heard ma- 
ny voices singing a song of praise to God, and celebrating 
the happiness which men should derive from this birth. 
On this, they hasted away immediately to Bethlehem, and 
there they found the child Jesus, just as it had been told 
them, in a stable and in a manger ; and also Joseph and 
Mary, whom they informed of what they had heard, sit- 
ting near by, taking care of him. With joy and grati- 
tude to God, that he had permitted them to find the pro- 
mised Savior, they then hastened back to their flocks. 

This event, my young friends, teaches you, that this 
child Jesus must have been one destined by God to great 
and blessed purposes; for we have never heard of any 
other child whose birth was announced in such a way, and 
celebrated by songs of praise sung in the air. 

Immediately after the birth of Jesus, there came learn- 
ed men from a distant country in the East, to Jerusalem, 
and asked where the new-born prince and future king 
was to be found. They said, that in this eastern coun- 
try they had seen a wonderful light which they knew to 
be his star, and therefore had come to show him their 
regards. Herod, who was then, under the Romans, the 
reigning king of Judea, a very wicked man, heard of 
this question, and was greatly alarmed. 



THE EAREY LIFE OF J ESI S, 15 

For the present, however, he disguised his fears ; and, 
hiving made various minute inquiries about the child, 
and charged these men to bring him word again, respect- 
ing it, he sent them to Bethlehem. 

Here, to their great joy, they found Jesus. Immediate- 
ly on their leaving Jerusalem, the bright sign in the air, 
or something that looked like a star, which had appeared 
to them in their own country, and made known to them 
the time of his birth, reappeared, and going before them, 
led them to the spot, where he lay. Having found him, 
they fell upon their faces before him, and, after the man- 
ner of the people of the East, made him valuable presents, 
as a sign of their submission to his authority. 

Herod, as soon as he had heard of the birth of Jesus 
from these learned men, was filled with suspicion respect- 
ing him; for he thought this child might at some future 
time, rule as king over the Jewish nation, and drive him 
or his descendants from the throne ; and therefore he 
resolved to kill Jesus. God however took the infant into 
his protection. He told the wise men in a vision, not to 
let Herod know any thing about the young child. 

After their departure, he also gave his foster-father, (or 
the man who took care of him as his father,) warning in 
a dream, that he should secretly take the child Jesus 
and his mother, and flee into Egypt. Joseph did so, im- 
mediately. In the mean time, Herod remained firm in his 
purpose to kill Jesus ; and therefore caused all the male 
children in Bethlehem and the region around it, who 
were not yet two years old, to be slain ; expecting that 
the child Jesus would certainly perish, with the children 
who were thus destroyed. 

Herod died not long after he had been guilty of this 



16 THE EARLY LIFE OF JESI 

frightful deed. Joseph was informed of this also in a 
dream, by the providence of God. At the same time, he 
also received command to return back to the land of Ju- 
dea ; which lie did, taking up his residence at Nazareth. 
Of the youth of Jesus we know nothing that is to be 
depended on, but what follows. He was a pious child, 
of great understanding, and of extraordinary zeal in 
learning what was good. Of this, he gave a wonderful 
example as early as his twelfth year, u hen he went 
with his parents up to the feast of the passover at Jerusa- 
lem. Here betook his seat in the school of the temple 
among the old teachers, listened to them with attention, 
proposed many questions to them, and carried on such 
conversation with them, that they were astonished ; for 
from it, they perceived that he knew and understood 
more, much more, than was common for children in gen- 
eral who were of his age. 

He was a youth who feared God, who honored his pa- 
rents like a dutiful child, who was agreeable and oblig- 
ing to others, and who daily increased in knowledge and 
in virtue, and was more and more beloved both by God 
and man. 

During this period of his life, he assisted his father in 
his domestic affairs and in the labors of his calling. He 
lived in his father's little family at Nazareth, altogether in 
retirement and silence, even up to the time in which he 
made his appearance in public as a teacher, a worker of 
miracles, and a Savior sent by God for the salvation of 
mankind. 



ins BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION. 1^ 

SECTION II. 

From the baptism of Jesus, to the beginning of his 
labors as a teacher. 

When. Jesus was about twenty-six years of age, a pious 
man, named John, at the command of God, began, like 
the ancient prophets, to call upon people to repent. They 
were, at that time, very wicked, and a great many of 
them very ignorant. He told them, that Jesus, the pro- 
mised Messiah, was soon to make his appearance in pub- 
lic, for the salvation of mankind ; and that those who would 
be ready to receive him, must break off their sins, and 
attend diligently to the practice of religion ; while, with 
great earnestness, he exhorted them to the immediate 
performance of this important duty. Multitudes of peo- 
ple thronged to hear him. He baptized all who confessed 
their sins, and thereby gave him to understand, that they 
had formed the good resolution of repenting and reform- 
ing their lives. 

Now when Jesus was about thirty years of age, he also 
came to this man to be baptized. 

John, who well knew who Jesus was, and that he was 
a very pious and holy man, out of modesty, at first refus- 
ed to perform this baptism ; but as Jesus continued to de- 
sire it, he baptized him in the river Jordan. When Jesus 
came up out of the water, the spirit of God in the form 
of a dove, hovered over him and lighted upon him ; and 
in a moment, a voice was heard from heaven, saying : 
u This is my son, my dearly beloved, in whom I am well- 
pleased." By means of this voice, John was still farther 
convinced, that Jesus was the promised Savior. He di- 
rected his hearers and all pious men to him, and at this 
2* 



18 HIS BAPTISM AM) TKMPTAI ION. 

time and often afterwards, testified that he himself was 
inferior to Jesus, and only his forerunner ; that Jesus 
was the Son of God, the Savior, and was sent for the 
happiness of the world. 

Immediately after his baptism, Jesus betook himself to 
an unfrequented, solitary region, in order that here, by 
giving himself up free from all disturbance, to prayer and 
silent reflection, he might prepare for the important 
work which he had resolved to accomplish for the salva- 
tion of mankind. Here he must have suffered much J 
for he found himself under the open heavens, among wild 
beasts ; and, for forty days, he had nothing to eat or drink. 
At this time, there came a wicked spirit to him, and 
tried to lead him into the commission of various sins and 
foolish acts ; but he overcame all these temptations, and 
remained faithful to God and his great calling. After 
this, there came also good spirits to him, who brought 
him food and drink. 

From this desert, Jesus returned again to Jordan, 
where John was. On this occasion, two of John's pupils 
became interested in the excellent doctrines of Jesus, 
and followed him, wishing to become his disciples. On 
the next day, Jesus chose Philip and Nathanael as his 
disciples ; and he afterwards increased the number of 
admirers and followers, who accompanied him every 
where, and lived in the most confidential intercourse 
with him, until they amounted to twelve. 



JESl > Af \ J I ICHBR. 19 



SECTION III. 



Thcjirst year of Jesus ^ a> a teacher* 

In company with these disciples, Jesus travelled into 
Galilee. After his arrival there, he with them attended 
a marriage in the city of Cana ; and here it was that he 
performed his first miracle, changing water into wine. 
By this act he showed, that God had given him power to 
work miracles ; that is, to do things which cannot be 
done by any known human power, but only by the spe- 
cial assistance of God. By this means he also strength- 
ened his friends in the belief that he had been sent of 
God, and that they might rely with perfect confidence 
upon all his words. 

After this, having, in company with his mother, his 
brethren, and his disciples, visited Capernaum, and 
tarried there for a short time, he went up to Je- 
rusalem, to the first feast of the passover that was cele- 
brated after his entrance upon the duties of his office as 
a teacher. Here, finding that people had lost all rever- 
ence for the temple of God, and changed it into a market- 
place, every where full of quarrelling and noise, injustice 
and fraud, — he was seized with a holy zeal, and, like the 
ancient prophets and in the exercise of similar authority, 
drove all the buyers and sellers out of the place. " It is 
written," cried he, " in the word of God, ' My house shall 
be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den 
of thieves/ " By doing this, he gave proof that he had 
received full power and authority from God, to bring 
men to give up all their contempt of God, and show 
true reverence to his name. He proved this also by 
many other miracles. It is true that by this means he 



20 I - AS A TLA< lli.Fl. 

gained main friends; but as their hearts were not 

altogether right towards him, he did Dot associate with 
them on intimate terms. Nicodemus. a distinguished 

Jew, had honest views, and was desirous of becoming 
truly acquainted with the will of God. JIc came there- 
fore to Jesus in the night, and had an instructive con- 
versation with him. In particular, Jesus told Jiim that a 
change of heart, as well as love to and confidence in 
him, the son of God, were indispensable for any man who 
would become his real disciple, and obtain the grace of 
God. 

From Jerusalem Jesus travelled with his disciples into 
various regions of Judea, teaching, wherever he went. 
John was filled with great joy by the accounts he receiv- 
ed of these doings, and bore testimony to the excellencies 
of Jesus. 

This joyful witness, however, to the glory of Jesu-;, was 
soon afterwards thrown into prison, and in a short time 
beheaded, because he boldly censured the wickedness of 
king Ilerod . 

Towards the beginning of winter, Jesus went again in- 
to Galilee. On the way, lie had an interesting interview 
with some of the Samaritans. He also tarried a short 
time at Cana. It was while here, that he healed a cer- 
tain nobleman's son, who lay sick at Capernaum. He 
then visited Nazareth and taught there; but the inhabi- 
tants of this city, instead of being improved by his doc- 
trines, became bitterly incensed against him, and thrust- 
ing him out of the city, led him to the brow of the hill 
on which the city was built, and were going to throw 
him down headlong ; but Jesus escaped from their hands 
without doing them any violence, and went down to Ca- 
pernaum, where he took up his residence while in Gall- 



HIS FIRST YEAR. 



21 



teaching in the public school or synagogue, to the 
£reat satisfaction of all who heard him. Here also, he 
cured Peter's wile's mother of a fever, and healed various 
other sick persons. 

By means of the doctrines which he taught, which 
were vejy excellent, as also by the miracles he wrought, 
for the good of unhappy persons, he every where acquir- 
ed for himself authority. From Capernaum, in company 
with a great multitude of people, he visited other cities 
in Galilee. It was while on this journey, that he delivered 
the admirable discourse, called the Sermon on the Mount, 
in which he taught his disciples and other hearers, re- 
specting the true meaning of the divine law, the true 
manner of giving alms so as to please God, the true way 
of praying acceptably to God, the laying up of eternal riches 
in heaven, confidence in God in respect to the wants of the 
body, and many other important truths. Having deliver- 
ed this discourse, he again restored many sick to health, 
and, in particular, healed a leper. About this time he 
taught on the sea of Gennesareth, out of a ship which be- 
longed to Peter, in the presence of a great multitude. 
After the discourse was ended, Peter, who had labor- 
ed all night in vain, at the command of Jesus, once more 
let down the net, and obtained an uncommonly rich 
draught of fishes ; upon which he was filled with the 
greatest astonishment, and humbly confessed that he was 
altogether unworthy of the grace and help of Jesus. 

Thus it is that God always at a right time and often in 
an unexpected manner, richly rewards those who obey 
him and put their confidence in him. They toil all night 
perhaps without success, and are about to give up in de- 
spair, when they see the day dawning in the east, and 
the sun himself soon shines upon them, bringing to them 



22 Jr. SI B AS A TEAi II 

a thousand blessings in his train. For the righteous 
there is always a rich blessing in store. 

In a certain city, a leper besonght him for help. Je- 
sus helped him, and forbade him from telling others of it : 
but without minding what Jesus said, he went right 
away and told of it. It was the custom of Jesys, often 
to betake himself to solitary places and pray. He retir- 
ed to such a place at this time, for the assembly of people 
around became too great and powerful for him, and were 
very troublesome. As, however, even here, he was throng- 
ed with people, and sick folks were brought to him from all 
quarters, he healed them, and then made his escape from 
them, in order to sail over to the other side of the sea. 
In the ship, he fell asleep. There arose a violent storm. 
Full of anguish, the disciples awoke him, and entreated 
him for help. He immediately spake a few words, and si- 
lenced the storm. 

After this, he returned to Capernaum. Soon after his 
arrival there, he healed a sick person who was suffering 
very much from the palsy. 



SECTION IV. 

The second year of Jesus, as a teacher. 

Jesus again, in company with many persons of kind 
and friendly dispositions, went up to the feast of the 
passovcr at Jerusalem. Here at the pool called Bethesda, 
he healed a man, who had had an infirmity for thirty-eight 
years. His enemies censured him for this, because he 
did it on the sabbath-day ; but he showed them that he 
had done right. Not long after this, he, in company 



ins SECOND \r.\i:. *^S 

with his disciples, went through a field of grain, on the 
sabbath-day ; and the latter, as they passed along, pluck- 
ed off the ears of the grain, and rubbing them out in their 
hands, ate the kernels ; which the Pharisees also looked 
upon as a breach of the sabbath-day ; but Jesus defend- 
ed his disciples. On another sabbath, he entered into 
the synagogue or the school of the Jews, taught, and, at 
the same time, healed the right hand of a man which was 
withered. At this, the Scribes and Pharisees were so 
embittered against Jesus, that they resolved among them- 
selves to kill him. When, however, he perceived this, 
he removed from them, and again betook himself to 
the Sea of Gennesareth. To this place, a very great 
multitude of people followed him from all the regions of 
Judea. Here he instructed the people from out of a ves- 
sel which lay near the shore on which they stood, healing 
all the sick that they brought to him. Yes, the sick 
were even healed by only touching him. 

He often left all company and ascended a mountain 
alone, in order to give himself up for a f^ew hours in the 
quiet of solitude, to pious thoughts and meditations. This 
he did on the very night previous to the time he had fixed, 
for choosing out of the multitude of his followers, a par- 
ticular number of intimate associates to be his disciples 
or pupils; who, by daily intercourse with him, should be 
prepared to become public teachers of mankind ; and 
who, in confirmation of their having received a commis- 
sion and full authority from God for this purpose, should 
be endowed with the power of working miracles. After he 
had prepared himself for making this important choice by 
a solemn and heartfelt prayer to God, he called all his fol- 
lowers to him, and publicly selected twelve for his partic- 
ular pupils. These he called apostles or missionaries. 



"21 JESUS AS A TEACIir.R. 

He now returned to Capernaum, where he healed the 
sick servant of a gentile centurion. From this place he 
went to Nail), where he raised from the dead the son 
of a poor widow. 

This and a multitude of other miracles which Jesus 
did in Galilee, increased the envy and hitternessof his 
enemies against him. In order to he secure against their 
persecutions, he crossed over to the other side of the sea of 
Gennesareth ; and from this place, he returned again to 
Capernaum. Here lie defended himself against those 
who censured him for having held intercourse withpubli- 
cans and sinners. In thus censuring him, they did him 
great injustice; for his desire was, to make men better ; 
and in order to effect this, it was necessary for him to 
associate and converse with them, just as a physician must 
associate and converse with those sick persons whom he 
would cure of their diseases. He raised the daughter of 
Jairus from the dead, and also in a very wonderful manner, 
healed many other sick persons ; and among others, two 
blind men who followed him as he went out of Nazareth, 
and cried after him for help. He only touched their 
eyes, and they received their sight, lie also restored 
speech to a dumb person. 

Sec here, dear youth, how unspeakably kind our Sa- 
\iour is! He helps everyone who asks him for help. 
He sends no miserable person away from him, but has 
compassion upon all. 

Refuse of the troubled spirit, 
When the flood is rolling near it, 
Who did ever bow before thee, 
And with humble heart adore thee, 
Without kindest aid receiving, 
Pence, salvation, in believing? 



HIS SECOND YEAU. 25 

To the voice of woe complaining, 
Didst thou bend with grief unfeigning, 
When on earth, in toil and danger, 
Seeking for the sin-lost stranger ; 
And, tho' high enthroned in glory, 
Thou art still as kind and lowly; 
Not a suppliant asks relieving, 
Without aid from thee receiving. 

At Nazareth, which was his own country, people did 
not perceive how full his heart was, of tenderness, good- 
ness, and love. He taught here indeed, but here he 
was again despised and persecuted. He left, therefore, 
the ungrateful people of this place, and travelled again 
through the other parts of Galilee, teaching the will of 
God and the way of salvation, and restoring various sick 
persons to health. At this time, he sent forth his twelve 
apostles into different regions, to also make known the 
doctrines of the gospel, and, by the performance of 
miracles, to show, that these their doctrines were true, 
and from God. They returned to him again, a short 
time before the feast of the passover, after having 
preached as they were commanded, casting out evil 
spirits, — and made a report to Jesus of all they had done. 

About this time, John was beheaded. When Jesus 
heard of his execution, he crossed with his disciples, 
over the sea of Gennesareth, and went into a desert 
near the city of Bethsaida. As was usually the case, as 
soon as it was known where he had gone, a great multi- 
tude followed after him, to whom he again showed him- 
self a teacher full of genius and heartfelt love, and a pow- 
erful helper ; for he taught the crowds which assembled 
around him, healed the sick, and fed the whole multitude, 
consisting of five thousand men, besides women and 
3 



26 JESUS AS A TEACHER. 

children, with five barley loaves and two fishes ; and in 
such a manner too, that twelve baskets were filled with 
the fragments which were left after all had been satisfied. 
By this miracle Jesus clearly proved that he had divine 
power. It was the means of convincing the people that he 
was the promised great prophet. They now wished to pro- 
claim him king. He, however, was not striving after vain 
honor. He had the well-pleasing of his heavenly Father at 
heart, above all tilings else. The object which he was seek- 
ing after, was to make men wise, good, and happy. He 
retired, therefore, into a solitary region, in order to give 
himself up to pious contemplations. In the mean time, 
he had sent his disciples away before him to Capernaum, 
by water. After they had got out into the sea, a violent 
storm arose, in which they were in very great distress. 
In the height of the danger, Jesus came to them, walking 
on the sea, and having, by his words and familiar tones 
of voice, calmed their fears on beholding him, entered 
into the ship. Immediately after, the storm subsided 
and they arrived at land. His arrival becoming at once 
known, the sick were brought to him from all the re- 
gions round about, — who, by merely touching his gar- 
ments, were made whole. 

About this time, many of those who had hitherto ap- 
parently been his friends, withdrew from him, because 
lie told them, that from him they had no temporal advan- 
tages to expect, — nothing but heavenly and eternal riches. 
His twelve apostles assured him of their constant fidelity, 
because that they believed he was Christ the son of God. 
He discovered to them, however, for the first time, that 
one of their number should in a faithless manner betra) 
hin.. 



HIS THIRD YEAR. 27 

SECTION V. 

The third year of Jesus, as a teacher. 

After the feast of the passover, which Jesus, however, 
did not celebrate at Jerusalem, he betook himself to the 
region of the rich commercial cities of Tyre and Sidon, 
where a Syro-phenician or Canaanitish woman came to 
him, and entreated him for help, in behalf of her daugh- 
ter. At first he seemed disinclined to attend to her 
entreaty ; but on account of the perseverance, faith, and 
humility, with which she made her request, he listened 
to her complaints, so that she, on her return home, found 
her daughter perfectly restored. Leaving Tyre and Si- 
don, he now came into the region of Decapolis, or the 
ten cities, where he healed the lame, the blind, the dumb, 
and other diseased persons ; and in particular, restored 
one who was both deaf and dumb, to the use of the fa- 
culties of hearing and seeing, so suddenly, that every bo- 
dy was filled with admiration, and gave praise to God 
and to Jesus, crying out : He hath done all things well ! 

Here it was, that he again so wonderfully supplied the 
wants of a large multitude out of a little food ; for he not 
only fed four thousand men, besides women and children 
who were not reckoned, with seven loaves and a few 
small fishes, so as to satisfy them all, but so even as to 
have seven baskets full of fragments left. 

On a journey which he now undertook to Dahnanutha, 
having crossed over the sea, he rebuked the Pharisees 
who lived in that region and came forth to meet him, 
for their conduct and unbelief. At Bethsaida, he restor- 
ed a blind man to sight. At Gesarea, he again gave his 



28 



JESUS AS A TEACIIKK. 



disciples to understand that he was the Messiah, and fore- 
told them of his approaching and heavy sufferings, of 
his death, and of his resurrection on the third day. In 
doing so, he exhorted them for his sake, to endure all 
sufferings with willingness, and to remain faithful to him, 
even unto death. This exhortation he afterwards repeat- 
ed at different times. A few days after this, he took with 
him Peter, James, and John, and with them alone, as- 
cended a high mountain, where God, by means of a won- 
derful transaction, the effect of his wisdom and almighty 
power, gave these three disciples to understand, that Je- 
sus was his beloved son, and that the doctrines which he 
taught, were true. The countenance of Jesus, for in- 
stance, became of a splendor like the sun, and his gar- 
ments were as white and shining as the snow. Moses and 
Elias or Elijah, both of whom had at this time been dead 
many centuries, made their appearance and conversed 
with Jesus of his future sufferings and death; and the 
three disciples heard a voice out of the clouds, saying : 
i This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased ; be- 
lieve and obey what he says/ 

This wonderful transaction is called the transfiguration 
of Jesus. On his coming down from the mountain, he 
healed a youth, who had the falling sickness, — a disease 
said to make its attacks at the change of the moon. His 
disciples had found themselves unable to cure it. 

Some time after this, he went up to the feast of taber- 
nacles at Jerusalem. Here he taught publicly in the tem- 
ple } and proved that he had been sent of God. At this, 
the chief magistrates of the Jews were so much incensed 
against Jesus, that they resolved to cause him to be ta- 
ken. Nicodemus opposed this resolution, but without 
success. Jesus continued to teach in public, and said 



HIS THIRD YEAR. V>9 

that he was the one who was to make mankind acquaint- 
ed with true wisdom, the way to eternal happiness, — assert- 
ing that he had had an existence before Abraham. At 
this the Jews were so much excited, that they took up 
stones and were going to stone him ; but he withdrew 
himself from them, and went out of the temple. Soon 
after this, he found a man who had been born blind, and 
cured him of his blindness on the sabbath-day. 

He now left Jerusalem. Soon afterwards, wishing to 
return thither again, he took his way through Samaria ; 
but the Samaritans would not give him a lodging. Upon 
this, James and John became animated with such indig- 
nant zeal, that they wished to punish the unfriendliness 
of the people with fire from heaven ; but Jesus, who 
always corrected his disciples when they erred, and seri- 
ously counselled them to do better, admonished them to 
cultivate more meek and gentle dispositions. On this 
journey, he selected seventy of his followers or pupils, and 
sent them forth to spread his doctrines in different re- 
gions. They returned back to him with joy, and he re- 
turned thanks to his heavenly Father for the good which 
they had been the means of accomplishing. 

In the mean time, upon his journey, he came as far as 
to Bethany, where he visited Mary and Martha; and be- 
cause the latter thought more on the domestic business 
of her house, than upon paying attention to his words, he 
gave her a pointed admonition, saying to her : ' Thou art 
careful and troubled about many things ; Mary hath 
chosen the good part.' 

After this, his disciples came to him at the close of one 

of his prayers, and asked him to teach them to pray ; 

when he repeated to them the words, " Our Father which 

art in heaven, etc.," which he had done before in his ser- 

3* 



30 THE LAST DAYS OF JESUS. 

mon on the mount, and exhorted them to pray with per- 
severance and devotionalness of spirit. 

From Bethany, he went up to the feast of the dedication, 
at Jerusalem. At this feast, the Jews required of him a 
public declaration, whether or not he was the promised 
Messiah or Christ. When in reply, he appealed to the 
works which he had done in his Father's name, they 
became so indignant against him, that they again deter- 
mined to stone him. lie did indeed show those who ac- 
cused him of blasphemy against God, that he was inno- 
cent, but it availed him nothing. They sought to take him 
and put him to death ; but he escaped this time also from 
their hands, and withdrew to the place on the other side 
of Jordan, where John had baptized. Here many receiv- 
ed his doctrines as true, and became his followers. 



SECTION VI. 

The last days of the life of Jesus. 

By this time, the fourth feast of the passover was draw- 
ing near, and Jesus entered upon his journey to Jerusa- 
lem. On the way, he admonished those that were with 
him to strive after salvation, and warned them against 
all hypocrisy in worshipping God. In the house of 
one of the chief Pharisees, where he was a guest on the 
sabbath-day, he healed a man who had the dropsy, and 
exhorted the guests to humility. Upon this journey, 
he imparted to his disciples as well as to others who fol- 
lowed him, much excellent instruction. He told them, 
that constancy, forbearance, and fidelity in the confession 



Till: LAST DAYS OP JKSUS. 31 

and practice of his doctrines, and a readiness to undergo 
every species of suffering for his sake, constituted the on- 
ly sure sign of their being his true followers and genuine 
disciples. He called upon them, therefore, expressly, 
to sec to it with all seriousness and diligence, that this 
sign was found upon them. In the parable of the unjust 
steward, and the account he gave of the rich man who 
lived every day in splendor and pleasure, he censured the 
vices of the vain, sensual world, such as injustice and 
faithlessness, dissipation, gluttony, and indifference to 
the poor ; while on the other hand, he recommended 
compassion to those suffering with want, as a virtue, 
the practice of which brings happiness. In another pa- 
rable, he taught that men should persevere in prayer, 
and pray with humility, keeping far removed from a proud 
reliance upon their own virtues and merits, and feeling sen- 
sible of their unworthiness before God. While upon this 
last journey, he also performed several great works of love. 
He restored ten men who were lepers, to health, of whom, 
however, only one returned him thanks for this benevolent 
act. At Bethany, he raised his friend Lazarus from the 
dead, after he had been buried four days. This miracle 
excited great attention to the power of Jesus. The Jews 
now more than ever, went about to kill him. As, how- 
ever, the time of his death had not yet arrived, he retired 
to a city called Ephraim, a remote place, until the passover 
had drawn near. 

During his residence in this place, he evinced towards 
young children that were brought to him, that he was the 
children's friend. He showed a rich young man, what 
it was requisite for him to do, in order to become his 
true disciple. He promised his disciples great rewards for 
their faithfulness to him thus far ; but, in the parable of 
the laborers in the vineyard, warned them, and all of us, 



32 THE LAST WBBK OF JCSl'S. 

who wish to know what he taught, not to he envious if 
we find others faring hetter than we do, and not to mur- 
mur against God, even if he does not do according to 
our wishes and thoughts. 

When now the feast of the passover had drawn near, 
Jesus left Ephraim on his way towards Jerusalem. On 
the journey he gave his disciples a prophetic account of 
the torments which awaited him, and of the kind of death 
before him, at Jerusalem. On coming near to Jericho, he 
found a blind beggar sitting by the side of the road, and 
gave him his sight. In the city of Jericho, he visited 
the house of Zaccheus, and instructed those who were 
present, in edifying discourses and parables. On going 
out of Jericho, he found two blind men sitting by the 
way-side, and cured them of their blindness, — when they 
accompanied him out of gratitude. 



SECTION VII. 

The last week of Jesus. 



On a Sunday Jesus made his public entrance into Jeru- 
salem. The people who followed after him and came to 
meet him, showed him the greatest marks of honor, and 
accompanied him with songs of praise and exclamations of 
joy. lie, however, on drawing near to the gates of Jeru- 
salem, wept over the great blindness and profligacy of its 
inhabitants, and the frightful destruction which hung over 
this beautiful city. 

O the Savior, kind and full of compassion ! Under 
exhibitions of the purest love, he travels on to the city, 



Tin: last wllk or jksi 33 

where lie is to be seized and slain ! The misery of its 
inhabitants, moves him to tears ! — Once more, however, 
before he died, he presented himself in his divine elevation 
of character, while he saw the destruction of Jerusalem 
impending; and, as at the beginning of his career as a 
teacher, so also at its conclusion, he purified the temple 
of those people, who within its courts, transacted busi- 
ness, which was in direct opposition to the dignity of the 
place. At the same time, he also miraculously healed 
many who were sick, of their diseases. In the evening, 
he went back again 10 Bethany. 

Early on Monday, he returned to Jerusalem, and again 
rebuked those who traded in the temple ; in doing which, 
however, he excited the priests against him. In the eve- 
ning he concealed himself without the city. 

On Tuesday, he came again into the temple and con- 
tinued preaching various salutary doctrines. He taught 
the resurrection of the dead, foretold the destruction of the 
city Jerusalem, and answered the question : " Which is 
the greatest commandment in the law ?" He recommend- 
ed sincere, undivided, heart-felt love to God as the great- 
est, the chief commandment ; by the side of which he 
placed true love to mankind, including in this last, indeed, 
the love of ourselves, but excluding from it selfishness. He 
also named the signs which should precede the divine 
judgment which was to be brought on the Jewish na- 
tion, and particularly upon the city of Jerusalem and its 
splendid temple. As this judgment was to be sudden 
and unexpected in its coming, so he took occasion thence 
to exhort his followers to make serious preparation for it, 
and to think upon their security, because that they now 
had time for it. Hence he admonished them to live in 
the constant exercise of moderation and temperance, to 



SI THE LAST WEEK OE JESL M 

guard themselves against painful anxiety about the ne- 
cessaries of life, to attend with all diligence to what was 
good, and carefully avoid every thing wicked ; because 
that all this was necessary for every one who would stand 
in righteousness and joy, not only before this, but before 
every other judgment of God. These instructions he not 
only imparted in words, but also in the parable of the ten 
virgins, and that of the different talents a man intrusted 
to his servants. lie also imparted to them a few hints 
respecting his glorious coming to the last judgment of 
all men. — On Wednesday, he again taught in the temple. 
On Thursday, he sent Peter and John into the city, to 
prepare the paschal lamb ; in the mean time, he held an 
instructive dialogue with the rest of his disciples, in 
which he taught them respecting many subjects, comforted 
and admonished them. Towards evening, he went with 
them to Jerusaelm. While on the way, he delivered vari- 
ous, touching, and consolatory farewell discourses. When 
they were about to sit down at the table, he washed his 
disciples' feet, and thereby gave them a practical exhor- 
tation to exercise love and humility towards each other. 
At the table he showed thorn that one of their number 
should betray him, and soon after, told Judas with perfect 
clearness, that he was the person. This faithless disci- 
ple, had already agreed with the high priests, to deliver 
Jesus, his teacher and the best of teachers, into their 
hands, for thirty pieces of silver, or about fifteen dollars. 
The information of Jesus, that he knew his wicked in- 
tentions, the manner in which he gave it, and the warn- 
ing he thus gave the traitor, did not, however, all hold 
him back from his infamous deed. At this repast, Jesus 
also established the sacrament of the holy supper, exhort- 
ed his disciples to love one another, and foretold Peter of 
his fall. 



THE LAST Bl PFBBINOa or JESUS. 36 

SECTION VIII. 

The last sufferings and death of Jesus. 

Jesus now gave his disciples a very consolatory and 
moving farewell address. lie concluded it with a pray- 
er ; and in the night, went out with them, to the Mount 
of Olives. On the way he told them beforehand, that 
they would all forsake him, and that Peter would deny 
him three times, before the cock should crow twice. 
Having arrived with them at the farm or field of Gethse- 
mane, he entered the garden which belonged to it. Here 
his last grievous sufferings, in reality commenced. He 
began to tremble and quake, told his disciples that he 
was exceedingly sorrowful even unto death, and exhorted 
them to watch with him and pray. Not far from them he 
kneeled down, fell upon his face, and prayed, saying : 
" O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from 
me ; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." Then 
arising and coming to his disciples, he found them asleep. 
This affected him, and he again admonished them to 
watch and pray. He went away the second time and 
prayed, returned to them, and again found them asleep. 
He went away the third time and prayed. Under this 
prayer, he felt himself strengthened in an extraordinary 
manner by God. It was to him as if an angel had poured 
a cup of consolation into his soul. The deadly anguish, 
which had been so violent that his sweat fell like drops 
of blood to the ground, vanished. When he came to his 
disciples the third time, he found them still sleep- 
ing. He awoke them, and told them that his betrayer 
was near. Directly after he arrived with a Roman guard, 



36 THE LAST SUFFERINGS OF JESUS. 

and a crowd of public Jewish officers, and betrayed Je- 
sus to them with a kiss. It would have been easy for 
him to have kept this company at a distance from him, or 
to have slain them ; for at the mere words, I am he, they 
shrunk back and fell down, witli terror ; but he permitted 
them to seize him and bind him. He went so far even, 
as to heal the ear of Malchus, which Peter had wounded 
With his sword. Having now bound Jesus, they led him 
away, and all the disciples forsook him. They brought 
him first, to Annas, who had been high priest, and then 
to Caiaphas the acting high priest, with whom the chief 
council had assembled together. 

Here, there came forward wicked people, who had been 
bribed with money to bring accusations against him, and 
in an unjust manner, accused him of criminal words and 
actions. God, howover, watched over the innocence of 
Jesus. The bribed false witnesses were unable to bring 
any thing against him with truth. They did not agree 
in their testimony or depositions, and their falsehood be- 
came public. As Jesus openly confessed that he was the 
promised Messiah or Christ and the son of God, the high 
priest declared him a blasphemer of God. The other 
members of the council agreed in this decision, and unan- 
imously condemned him to death. Upon this he was 
very much abused. The assistants and servants of the 
council, spit upon him and struck him in the face with 
the palms of their hands, carried on their ridicule 
with him, and threw out calumnies against him. In the 
midst of these abuses he had also the mortification to 
hear how Peter three times publicly denied his name, 
and affirmed with the most horrible oaths that he knew 
him not. The Savior, however, rich in love, turned 
upon Peter a deeply moving, warning look, which 



THE LAST SUFFERINGS OF JESUS. J/ 

brought him so far to reflection that he went out and 
wept bitterly for the sin which he had committed. 

Jesus, having now been condemned to death by the 
chief council of the Jews for the second time, was 
brought to Pontius Pilate the Roman governor, for 
the purpose of having it confirmed and carried into exe- 
cution. When Judas saw this, he repented of his treach- 
ery, and brought again the reward which he had received 
for it ; and as the Jewish officers would not take it back, 
he threw it down in the temple, and in despair went out 
and hanged himself. The enemies of Jesus brought 
hard accusations against him, before Pilate ; but Pilate re- 
cognized his innocence, and declared to his accusers, that 
he found nothing in him worthy of punishment. He 
sent him to Herod, the ruler of Galilee, then also in 
Jerusalem. He too found the accusations of the enemies 
of Jesus, groundless; but still he together with his men of 
war abused him in various ways, and treated him with rid- 
icule. To make him an object of sport and laughter, he 
clothed him with a white robe, and thus sent him back to 
Pilate. Pilate was very much inclined to let Jesus go; 
and hence he placed by the side of Jesus one who had 
been convicted of robbery and murder, called Barabbas, 
and declared Jesus innocent, supposing that the people 
would now ask for the release of Jesus ; for at the feast, it 
was customary for the people to ask for the release of a pri- 
soner; but they cried out, ' Release not Jesus, but Ba- 
rabbas. 7 

Upon this, Pilate caused Jesus to be scourged with thongs, 
to which were perhaps tied little iron hooks or pieces of 
bone. The soldiers pressed a crown of thorns upon his 
head, clothed him with a purple garment, and, putting a 
reed in his right hand, bent their knees before him, and sah 

4 



38 THE LAST SUFI 'F.KINGS OF JES[ I. 

luting liim in ridicule, said, Hail, king of the Jews. Then 
again they spit upon him, took the reed and smote 
him on the head with it, and struck him on his face 
with their hands. Once more, while in this lamenta- 
ble condition, Pilate brought him out before the people, 
in hopes thereby to excite their compassion. Twice 
again also, he affirmed, that he had found no guilt in him. 
All his representations, however, and efforts for softening 
the feelings of the people, were in vain. They cried 
out incessantly, ' Let Jesus be crucified.' At last, seeing 
that the tumults and outcries continually increased, Pilate 
also sentenced Jesus to be crucified ; but he washed his 
hands before the people, and exclaimed in public : * I am 
innocent of the blood of this just person.' 

Jesus was then led away to a place called Golgotha, 
and there, between two malefactors or wicked men, he 
was nailed by his hands and feet to the cross. The sol- 
diers who did this, then divided his garments among 
them, and for his coat cast lots. Just before, they 
had handed him some drink composed of bitter vinegar, 
which, however, he would not take. While in the ago- 
nies of death, he was ridiculed and calumniated, not only 
by the chief priests and soldiers, but even by one of the mur- 
derers who were crucified with him. Under the most terri- 
ble sufferings of his body, and in the most inexpressible an- 
guish of his soul, he cried out : i( My God, my God, why 
hast thou forsaken me." Directly after, he complained 
of thirst ; and by way of making new sport of him, there 
was offered to him a kind of sour wine, to drink. When 
he had tasted of ii, he exclaimed, It is finished ; and im- 
mediately after, having cried out with a loud voice : " Fath- 
er, into thy hands I commend my spirit," he bowed his 
head, and died. After his departure, his side was pierced 
through with a spear. 



THE liURIAL OF JESUS. 39 

The death of Jesus was accompanied with some re- 
markable events, and the performance of real miracles. 
For three hours, while he was in the pains of dissolu- 
tion, there was a great darkness of the sun, over all the 
land of Judea. When he died, the veil in the temple 
was torn from the top to the bottom, into two parts. 
There was also so violent an earthquake, that the very 
rocks rent, and some graves opened, out of which, after 
the resurrection of Jesus, the dead who lay in them came 
forth alive. 



SECTION IX. 

The burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. 

Joseph of Arimathea, a secret friend of Jesus, asked 
Pilate for permission to bury the body of Jesus, which he 
received. Nicodemus helped him in this service, which 
was performed so as to exhibit testimonies of great honor. 
The corpse was wrapped up in clean linen, together with 
Myrrh and Aloes, and laid in a grave which Joseph had 
lately hewn out in a rock in his garden, and in which no 
one had ever before been laid. The entrance to it was 
stopped up with a great stone. 

The Jewish council informed Pilate, that Jesus when 
alive, had often said, that he would rise on the third day ; 
and hence begged him to station a guard to watch the 
grave during that time, in order that his disciples might 



40 RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION OF JESUS. 

not secretly steal the body away, and then try to pass his 
resurrection o(F upon the world. Pilate gave them a 
guard ; they theimelvcs sealed the stone at the entrance 
of the grave, in order that the guard might not be bribed 
nor any person be permitted, to enter into the tomb. 

What Jesus, however, had more than once predicted, 
came to pass ; for on the third day, he arose and came 
out of the grave. The event was accompanied pith a 
great earthquake, and an angel descended from heaven 
and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre ; 
and upon this, the keepers became exceedingly affright- 
ed and fled. 

Jesus, having arisen from the dead, appeared to many 
pious persons ; in particular, he made himself known at 
different times to his desponding disciples. He called up 
their attention to and gave them instructions respecting, 
the various prophecies and teachings of the sacred scrip- 
tures which spake of himself. lie appointed them to 
teach his religion, commanding them in the first place 
to make mankind acquainted with it, and when they avow- 
ed their faith in it, to consecrate them in professing the 
same, by means of baptism. 

On the fortieth day after his resurrection, he assembled 
his disciples together, at Bethany, promised them that 
the Holy Spirit with his gifts, should soon be poured out 
upon them, and that by this means they should receive 
power to execute the duties of their apostolic office, and 
then he lifted up his hands and blessed them : during 
his performance of which act, he ascended from them be- 
fore their eyes, up into heaven. While they stood gazing 
after him with wonder and astonishment, two angels ap- 
peared to them, and told them, that Jesus, who had now 
gone up into heaven, should one day come again. 



PART II. 

I. Reflections on the life of Jesus. 

SECTION I. 

Xccessary to become truly acquainted with Jesus. 

There is much, my young friends, for you to learn, if 
you would have things go well with you, — if you would 
have enough to eat and drink, and would live contented 
and esteemed in this world, and obtain happiness after 
death. 

The most important knowledge for you to acquire, 
however, is that which relates to Jesus Christ. You 
must begin to exhibit your love of study and your perse- 
vering diligence, in the very first place, in forming a true 
acquaintance with his character. I will give you reasons 
why this knowledge is of such importance. 

The Jii'st reason I have to give, is, that Jesus Christ 
was the wisest, the most pious, the holiest of men. In- 
deed, he is the only perfect man that has ever lived on 
earth, from its creation, down to the present time. 

All other men, even the best of them, have sinned, and 

sinned a great many times. They have had wicked 

thoughts, they have spoken wicked words, they have done 

what is wicked. Should we take any one of them, there- 

4* 



42 REFLECTIONS OX THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

fore, as our guide in all things, we should often be led a- 
stray, and do what God has forbidden. Jesus Christ, how- 
ever, never committed a single sin, or broke one of God's 
commandments. From his childhood to his death, lie 
obeyed his heavenly Father in all things. It was his 
greatest joy to honor God and yield perfect obedience to 
his will. 

lie was also ever full of kind feeling, and engaged in 
doing good. He helped those who were in want, healed 
the sick, taught the ignorant, guided the wanderer right, 
warned the vicious, strengthened the weak in virtue, 
comforted the sorrowful, and labored night and day to 
serve others and advance the best interests of mankind. 
Though grieved, wronged, and persecuted, by wicked 
men, he never grieved, wronged or persecuted them in re- 
turn. On the other hand, he mourned over the evil of 
their hearts, which made them unhappy, and was leading 
them on to destruction. He prayed for them, sought to 
bring them to better thoughts, and did them acts of kind- 
ness and benevolence?. 

You must make yourself acquainted, therefore, dear 
youth, with Jesus Christ, in order to have a rule before 
you which you may always safely follow ; in order that gui- 
ded by his instruction and led by his example, you may al- 
ways know how to obey God, by doing what is good and 
avoiding what is wicked. If at any time, you are doubt- 
ful as to how you ought to act, you have only to ask how 
Jesus Christ has acted or would act, under similar circum- 
stances, and that will be the right way. In him you see all 
the virtues that we are ever to practise, shining forth in 
the greatest beauty and the most amiable dignity. This 
view should certainly fill you with reverence towards him, 



MIST BE VAULT ACQIWINTED WITH HIM. 4S 

incline your feelings to him, and make you anxious to 
become more intimately acquainted with him. 

The second reason why you should become truly ac- 
quainted with Jesus Christ, is, that he is the only son of 
God, — that is, the only son of God in his kind, in the 
highest, noblest, and best sense. This is a name he re- 
ceives in the Bible, were he is also called by various other 
names, as, The Life of the World, Redeemer, Savior, 
The Lord our Righteousness. 

He came down from heaven, to teach men the way 
that leads to it. This he has done most faithfully. He 
has told the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the 
wise and the simple, what is good and right ; and how 
they must live if they would obtain the grace of God, 
and have a sure hope of going to him, and living with 
him, in eternal happiness, after death. 

While in the world, he was greatly persecuted and af- 
flicted. In particular, he suffered much during his last 
days and hours. Though perfectly innocent and holy, 
he was seized by his enemies, and crucified. All this, 
however, he freely suffered for mankind. They had sin- 
ned against God, and thus brought themselves into a state 
of misery and everlasting death. Jesus knew this, and 
pitied them. The grand fobject of his message of love 
from heaven, was, to deliver them from this state. Ac- 
cordingly, in order to procure the grace and forgiveness 
of God, for all who repented of their sins and gratefully 
recognized him as their Savior, he spent his life in labor- 
ing for them, passing through a great variety of sorrows 
and woes, and finally bore their sins for them in the fear- 
ful sufferings, the agonizing death, of the cross. 

To complete the great work he had undertaken, pro- 
cure for his followers a peaceful death, resurrection at 



44 REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

length from their graves, and entrance into celestial joy, 
he himself arose again from the dead on the third day 
and went to heaven, where he has prepared for them, 
stores of everlasting happiness. He is now himself in 
glory, sitting on the right hand of God. There, though 
surrounded with angels and the splendor of the upper 
world, he thinks on us here below, intercedes for us with 
God, and blesses us. 

Those of you, therefore, my young friends, who love 
what is good and wish to know with certainty, how to live 
truly pious, obtain the grace of God, die at last without 
feeling the bitter stings of conscience, and enter into 
happiness after death, must become acquainted with this 
son, this messenger of God, this most exalted teacher of 
wisdom and godliness, our Savior from all that is evil, 
our intercessor with God, and the being from whom alone 
we expect to receive our happiness in the world to come. 
Those of you who do not form a true acquaintance with 
him, receive him in confidence as your Savior, love him, 
and obey all his commandments, must not even hope that 
he will make you wise and good and happy. Treasure 
these words, dear youth, up in your minds, and let the 
following often constitute your prayer : 

Help me, Lord, while here I wander, 
( >ft the Savior's life to ponder, 
E'er, in spirit meek and lowlv, 
Striving to become as holy. 
Should of friends the dean-st fail me, 
And the scoffing world assail me, 
While in pain my spirits languish ; 
(), sustain me in my anguish. 
Help me, far from friend and lover. 
Calmly like my Lord to suffer, 
Kind thy will enduring pleasure, 



ON HIS BIRTH. 1~> 



And thy love abundant treasure, 
Ever onward, upward pressing, 
Till my soul obtain thy blessing, 
And, with her immortal lyre, 
Kindle in seraphic fire. 



SECTION II. 

On the birth of Jesus. 

We have a great many testimonies and proofs, that Je- 
sus was something more than the child of a mere man ; 
and that his glory far surpassed the glory of all the in- 
habitants of this world. 

In the first place ; God had caused his birth to be 
made known by wise and holy men, long before it hap- 
pened. On a great many occasions too, God had com- 
forted the pious when weighed down with affliction, by 
telling them of his coming into the world, by means of 
which mankind should be blessed and made partakers of 
salvation. Six months before the event, he brought 
about the birth of John, who was sent to prepare the 
way for Jesus ; that is, by instructing the generation of 
Jews then on the stage, and setting them a pious exam- 
ple, to bring them back to the piety of their fathers, thus 
rendering them favorably disposed to receive the doc- 
trines of Jesus, and recognize him as the Savior of the 
world ; and in proof that John was sent as the forerun- 
ner and forteller of the approach of such a divine person, 
his birth was preceded and followed by several wonder- 



4G REFLECTION! ON THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

ful events, which you will find spoken of, in the first 
chapter of Luke. 

In the second place ; an angel also unexpectedly made 
his appearance* to the mother of Jesus, the pious virgin 
Mary, and saluted her in the most friendly manner in 
the words: " Hail, thou art highly favored, the Lord 
is with thee ; hlessed art thou among women ;" and as 
she was very much disturbed by the appearance and ad- 
dress or salutation of the angel, he told her in the kindest 
manner, not to be afraid, and informed her that she 
should bear a son, who should be called Jesus ; that he 
should be a great, a divine person, — should be the son of 
God ; that God would one day, give him the authority of 
the highest king, and that he should not like David, reign 
merely upon earth and only for a few years, but that he 
should reign over all, and reign forever. Full of aston- 
ishment, she replied : ' How can this be, since I am 
unmarried V E'Jt the angel calmed her by assuring her 
that God was almighty, and by his supreme power, 
would so arrange and accommodate all things, that she 
should have a son. 

Think, dear youth, on these extraordinary decrees or 
predeterminations of God, respecting the child Jesus. 
How wonderful ! He must certainly have been a child 
of divine glory, "and supremely esteemed and beloved of 
God ; for otherwise God would not have made such ex- 
traordinary preparations for his coming into the world, — 
would not have performed such wonders to bring him into 
the world, nor have employed his angels to make known 
the happening of this event. 

Jn the third place ; it was an angel who first informed 
the shepherds, that the birth of Jems had really taken 
place. This angel was aNo accompanied by a heavenly 






ox His BfllTH. 4/ 

host, who celebrated the event in songs of joy and prni 
in which they uttered the words, " Glory to God in the 
highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men." 
God caused all this to be done, as a new proof that Jesus 
was born to become the Savior and benefactor of the hu- 
man race ; that he deserved the reverence, the worship of 
the angels, and consequently that he also surpassed them 
in glory. 

Let the example of the angels, excite you also, to sing 
praise to Jesus, and give God thanks for his birth. How 
much reason you have to be thankful that he ever came 
into the world. You see how the pious shepherds acted 
in this respect. Having found Jesus in a manger at 
Bethlehem, they went away singing praise and giving 
glory to God, for all the things which they had seen and 
heard, (just as it had been told them,) and making known 
to all around, the wonderful things that had happened. 
Do as these good people did, and you also will find grace 
before God. 

In the fourth place ; if we reflect attentively upon the 
history of the wise men's coming from the East to see 
him that was born king of the Jews, we shall here also 
be obliged to confess the hand of God every where ap- 
parent in making known the glory of the child Jesus, 
and miraculously protecting it from harm. He prepared 
a sign in the air, an appearance like a star, by which 
these learned men were led from a remote country, di- 
rectly on to Jerusalem. He awaked in them an impulse 
to travel this journey ; and caused a second appearance 
of this star, which led them directly on to Bethlehem, 
preceding them until it came and stood over the place, 
where Jesus was. The warning in a dream, also, which 
they received, not to return to Herod at Jerusalem, came 



48 REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

from God, as well as the resolve, to follow this warning ; 
as in the words which Herod had spoken to them, they 
could have found many motives for giving him an account 
of the child Jesus. 

In ihe fifth place ; when Jesus was forty days old, and 
was brought to the temple in order that the usual prayer 
might be made for and over him, that he might ever con- 
tinue to be a pious child, doing what is pleasing to God, 
several extraordinary things took place, very much in fa- 
vor of his exalted character. 

Simeon, a pious and aged man, who had long been 
earnestly sighing after the coming of the Messiah, and by 
means of the internal encouragement of his heart, receiv- 
ed a promise from God, that he should not die until he 
had seen him, felt a special impulse to go into the tem- 
ple. As soon as ever his eyes caught sight of the child 
Jesus here, it was as if a voice within had said to him : 
11 This is the Messiah that has been promised to the 
world." Full of reverence and joy, he took up the di- 
vine child, and clasping it in his arms, brake forth in 
thanksgiving and praise, saying: "Lord, now lettest 
thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen 
thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face 
of all people; mine eyes have seen the Savior of man- 
kind, him, who is to be a light to lighten the heathen, 
and the glory of thy people Israel." lie gave the mother 
of Jesus also his blessing, and told her beforehand, re- 
specting her son, that .-ome would despise him, and there- 
by render themselves very unhappy ; and that others 
would honor him with heart-felt confidence, as the mes- 
senger of God, believe his words and obey his command- 
ments, and thereby become very happy. 

The aged and pious Anna also discovered in him at 



ON His BIRTH. \\) 

once, the Savior and benefactor of the whole human 
family. She gave God praise for the arrival of the Sa- 
vior in the world, and full of joy, told of the wonderful 
lit to all who were expecting it, and thus strength- 
ened their confidence in him, and their love and esteem 
for him. 

Recollect, my dear youth, that the confessions of these 
pious and aged people, and the things they uttered in 
praise of Jesus, had their foundation in an extraordinary 
revelation of God, and were the results of an impulse 
which had been excited in their souls by God himself; 
and you will easily perceive, that they must have been 
in every respect true ; and that Jesus was the Savior 
that had been promised by God, as to come into the 
world, to make mankind wise, comfort them, bless them, 
and lead them on to eternal happiness. Surely then, you 
ought to feel as they felt, and make similar confessions. 
I hope you will be inclined in your heart, to reflect and 
pray somewhat as follows : 

" Jesus Christ is indeed the son of God. His glory is 
divine, and we are his property. The angels adore him ; 
and pious men by the especial direction of heaven, pay 
him their worship. He came into the world as he him- 
self tells us, to seek and to save that which was lost ; to 
look up the sheep that had wandered off from his fold, in- 
to the wilderness, and bring them back again ; to reform 
mankind, fill them with peace, and make them happy for- 
ever. And what pains he took to accomplish this work ; 
how much did he condescend ! He was born in poverty. 
His mother and he whom God chose to be his supposed fa- 
ther, were poor people, and in very humble circumstan- 
ces. He was born in a stable, and laid in a manger. 
How very different the situation in which I was born ; of 
5 



50 REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

how much attention, how many conveniences, and how 
much care which I received, was he altogether deprived ! 

1 How much better I was attended 

Than the Son of God could be, 
When from heaven lie descended, 

And became a child like me ! 
Soft and easy was my cradle ; 

Coarse and hard my Savior lay ; 
For his birthplace was a stable, 

And his softest bed was hay !' 

And still I am a sinful child. O how grateful I ought to 
be to thee, blessed Jesus, that thou didst condescend to 
become a poor child, to save me from my sins ! 

Blessed Lord, I do indeed believe that thou wast sent 
by our Father in heaven, to teach us true wisdom, and 
make us good and happy. I do indeed believe that thou 
wast sent by God, out of the greatest love and benevo- 
lence to mankind ; and that by thy coming into the 
world, thou hast worked out for us, a great and eternal 
salvation. Thou art truly the son of God, full of divine 
glory and power. I will praise thee from my very youth. 
I will honor and love thee as my Lord and Savior, as 
long as I live. I will obey thee, and put confidence in 
thee, until death. Give me grace, kind and merciful 
Savior, to do according to these resolutions." 






ON HIS EARLY PERSECUTION. 51 

SECTION III. 

The persecution of Jesus when a child. 

En the earliest years of his childhood, Jesus had a per- 
secutor in Herod. This wicked king, being afraid, from 
what he had heard, that this innocent child would, at 
some future day, rule over the Jewish nation and drive 
him from his throne, sought to kill it; and employed 
all his cunning and power, to accomplish his cruel 
purpose. He even sent forth and slew all the children, 
at least all the male children, who were under two years 
of age, throughout Bethlehem and the region around it. 
He did not, however, succeed. You recollect that God 
took care of the child, and, w r arning Joseph and Mary of 
the evil that was intended against it, told them to arise 
secretly and flee into Egypt; so that the parents of Jesus 
were obliged to go into a foreign country, in order to se- 
cure him from danger. 

Think here too, my young friends, how differently it 
has fared with you from what it did with Jesus, and from 
what it has with a great many other children. You have 
been exposed to no cruel Pharaohs or Herods. God has by 
his grace, made every thing go well with you. He has 
secured you from all such cruel men, as would seek your 
life. On the other hand, you have had kind and oblig- 
ing people ready to take the greatest care of you, from 
your very infancy, to guard your life from danger, and 
your health from injury. You have grown up thus far, in 
perfect quietness and peace, and have never been oblig- 
ed to flee for safety from the house of your parents. You 



52 REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

should think of this kindness of God towards you, with 
gratitude, and let his goodness excite you to become pi- 
ous children ; in order that when you die, you may, 
through what your Redeemer has done for you, be per- 
mitted to live with him in heaven, where there are a. 
great many pious children, worshipping him all the time, 
and singing his praise. Think how much God has done 
for you, how well he has provided for you, what a pre- 
cious home you have, and you will be inclined, I think, to 
say : 

For life which thou hast given, 
I thank thee, Lord of heaven, 

And drop a grateful tear ; 
Thy goodness, all decreeing, 
From nothing drew my being, 

And kindly brought me here. 

My soul's exalted Lover 

Was doomed on earth to suffer, 

In childhood's tender age : 
First sleeping in a manger, 
Then driven from home a stranger, 

By Herod's cruel rage. 

Thou hast for me provided, 
And like a Father guided, 

And blessed me evermore ; 
Hast given me days of gladness, 
With scarce an hour of sadness, 

And every needed store. 

Should e'er the tempest lower, 
I'll trust thy guardian power, 

And still thy goodness own, 
Till, high on Zion's mountain, 
I taste the crystal fountain, 

Fast flowing from thy throne. 



ON HIS YOLTH. -V) 



SECTION IV. 



The youth of Jesus. 

There are some circumstances connected with the 
youth of Jesus, which you ought to think of, and from 
which you may draw instruction. It early became evi- 
dent that he had extraordinary gifts of mind, great wis- 
dom, and strong desires of soul, after the word of God. 
When he was no more than twelve years of age, he took 
his seat in the school of the temple, among learned and 
experienced men, heard them with attention, and asked 
them questions respecting the most important doctrines 
of religion. Not only by his questions, but also by his 
answers, he obtained the high regard of the teachers, and 
all who were present. He asked his mother, who had 
been for some time looking for him, when she found him 
there, how she could have sought for him in any other 
place, since she must have supposed, that he would tarry 
no where with so much pleasure, as in the house of his 
heavenly Father. Here also, dear children and youth, 
take your Savior for an example, and form the following 
resolutions : 

" From my dear Savior, I will learn to go with pleasure 
to church and to school. I will apply myself, with all 
diligence to acquire useful knowledge, and particularly 
a true knowledge of the Christian religion. For this pur- 
pose, I will hold the Bible in the greatest esteem. I 
will never be guilty of quoting it in a light and trifling 
way, for the sake of jest, or drawing any expressions 
from it to use as by-words. On the other hand, I will 
5* 



51 REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

gladlv listen to instruction respecting its doctrines, and 
read pious writings, and such other hooks as may be ben- 
eficial to me. 1 will always be attentive to instruction 
from my teachers. I will answer them with reflection 
and respect, and modestly ask them to explain to me 
what I do not sufficiently understand. If I do all this, 
then will mv teachers, and all good people who hear this 
of me, love me and hold me in esteem ; and God will 
grant me his blessing." 

Jesus spent his youth in the house of his parents. To 
them he always showed the obedience of a pious child. 
He increased in true wisdom and virtue. His good con- 
duct in this respect, his growth in wisdom and piety, 
obtained for him the grace of God, and the love of his 
parents, and other good people. He remained in the 
family of his father, even after he became of age, because 
the solitary life he was able to lead in the quiet of Naza- 
reth, gave him just such an opportunity as he wanted, by 
means of daily intercourse with God in prayer, and con- 
stant, serious, holy contemplation, to prepare for the 
great business, which, as the teacher and Savior of men, 
he was soon to undertake and carry into execution. In 
the mean time, he also faithfully assisted his father in 
working at his trade, until, as the messenger of God, he 
be^an to teach and work miracles in public. In all these 
respects, Jesus is a good example for those children and 
youth, who would be loved, would grow up wise and 
hippy, and go to heaven and live with him there at last. 

II Y M N. 

On the world's wild bosom growing, 

Dear Redeemer, thee I find, 
With religion's savor glowing, 

And a spirit meek and kind. 



ON ms | 1PTISM. 

In thy father's hamble iteUoO, 
Witching ( 11S ipproviOj 

Mid the teachers of thy Dation, 

Listening to the Mge replj . 

And though dark thy way and gory, 
Lovlier still and more divine, 

On it brightened into glory, 

Till tli* immortal crown was thine. 






Every stage of life adorning. 
Growing too, may I be seen 

Fragrant as the summer-morning, 
Lovely as the blooming green. 

Grant me grace and wisdom ample, 
Kind, obedient, meek and true, 

E'er to follow thine example, 
Till heaven open on my view. 



SECTION V. 

The baptism of Jesus, 

Very important proof of the divine glory of Jesus, is 
furnished us, in the declining of John to baptize him, 
because he considered him as a perfectly righteous and 
holy man ; also in John's confession, that Jesus was far 
more exalted than he was himself, notwithstanding he 
had been endowed with so much dignity and power, by 
God. Strong proof of the divine glory of Jesus, is also 
furnished us, in the confession of John, in which, filled 
with the deepest reverence towards Jesus, he bore testi- 



3G REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OP JESUS. 

mony ofliim in public, as, " tlie Lamb of God which tak- 
eth away t lie sin of the world." 

This was as if John had said : " As the sprinkling of the 
blood of a lamb, on the two side-posts, and on the upper 
door-post of the houses of the Israelites, saved them from 
the plague, on the dark and gloomy night, in which the 
Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from 
the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, to 
the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon, and 
all the first-born of cattle ; so the sprinkling of the blood 
of Jesus, shall save from the plague of sin, all who trust 
in him, in that dreary night when the Lord goes forth to 
smite the sinful world. He is to procure the forgiveness 
of mankind, and their gracious acceptance with God. He 
has been sent by God, for the express purpose of enlight- 
ening the human race, sanctifying them, and rendering 
them happy, by suffering for them the greatest sorrows, 
and the most painful death." 

If all the doubts you have respecting the divine glory 
of Jesus, are not now removed, they must be, as it seems 
to me, when you remember what took place, just after 
he was baptized ; for as he was coming up out of the 
water, the spirit of God descended upon him in the form 
of a dove, and alighted upon him, and God himself tes- 
tified by a voice from heaven, that Jesus was his beloved 
son in whom he was well pleased. Can you hesitate 
then, dear youth, to receive Jesus Christ as your divine 
Savior, and always to serve him as such? Methinks T 
hear you say : 

" Blessed Jesus, thou art the beloved Son of God ; 
from my heart will I love and honor thee. For thy sake, 
I hope to obtain the forgiveness of all my sins, from God : 
and, by thy assistance, to please my Father in heaven. 



ON HIS TEMPTATION. o/ 

in all my youthful actions. I am indeed a highly favored 
child. I have enjoyed the great privilege, like the son of 
God, of being baptized. From his baptism, I learn, that 
the baptism which I have received is something holy. I 
will often, with reverence, gratitude, and love, call to 
mind, my baptismal covenant. I will say to myself: ' By 
means of baptism, I have been consecrated to be a child 
of God, and an heir of eternal life. O blessed Father in 
heaven, suffer me not to trifle away this, the greatest of 
blessings I can have upon earth, by my sins. Thou hast 
engaged to be my faithful Father and guide, from my 
youth upwards. O help me always to remain thy pious, 
thy good and obedient child.' " 



SECTION VI. 

The temptation of Jesus. 

There are spirits which do not dwell in such bodies 
as we have, called angels, or devils. They are called 
angels if they are good, and devils if they are wicked. 

Now one of these wicked spirits came to Jesus, while 
he was in the wilderness, to which he had been led by 
the Spirit of God, and tried to seduce him into various 
sins. To disturb his confidence in God, he tried to 
make him perform an unnecessary and untimely miracle, 
by changing stones into bread. To make him guilty of 
rashness, he challenged him to throw himself down from 
off the pinnacle of the temple. To bring him to deny 



58 REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

God, he was so shameless as to request the Savior to fall 
down and worship him. The devil, however, was de- 
feated in all these, his wicked attempts. The Savior re- 
fused to listen to any of his proposals, until at last he 
went away, no douht, in great sadness. Things turned 
out here with Jesus, just as the Bible says they always 
will with good people, who resist the devil ; for the Bible 
says, that if we resist him, he will flee from us ; and so the 
Savior found it. 

My young friends, wherever you go, you will, as long 
as you live, meet with many enticements to sin. Your 
own hearts are wicked, and will be constantly leading 
you astray. You live too, in a world which is full of in- 
iquity and sin. Besides, you will also be tempted to sin, 
by soinu of the wicked spirits, of which the Bible speaks. 
It is probable, indeed, that much of the evil in the 
world which is ascribed to these spirits or to Satan, their 
chief, does not originate with him or his followers. It is 
quite certain that Satan's power is often represented, as 
for greater than it really is. From the Bible, however, 
we know well enough, that he tempts men to sin, and 
does them all the mischief he can. Why God permits 
this, is a question we cannot fully answer. You will pro- 
bably know more about it, when you become older and 
acquire more maturity of thought. Nor is it necessary 
that you should fully understand this subject. It is no 
great matter from what quarter the temptation comes. 
It is your business to resist all temptations to sin, whether 
they have their immediate origin in your own hearts, in 
your companions, or in evil spirits. As you would bo 
happy, therefore, in this world and the next, you must 
learn to resist temptation as Christ did, — you must learn, 
at all times, and under all circumstances, to resist every 



now TO MEKT TEMPTATION. 00 

temptation to do any thing which you know or even fear 
to be wrong. Let me give you some directions upon this 
subject, which will be of great beneht to you, if you fol- 
low them. 

1. Prav to God every day not to lead you, or suffer you 
to be led, into temptation. Entreat him always to pre- 
serve you from all that is evil, whether it come from your 
own heart, from the world around you, or from the wick- 
ed one, who, as the Bible says, " goes about seeking 
whom he may devour." So you are told to pray in the 
Lord's prayer, by Christ himself. Entreat him to en- 
lighten vour mind and make you wise, in order that you 
may know at once, what good and evil is; and to give 
you strength to overcome every besetment to sin. 

2. Never presume to tempt God to leave you to do 
what is wicked by putting yourself in the way of danger, 
or keeping yourselves ignorant of it. The child who puts 
himself on purpose, in the way of danger, when there is 
no need of it, who, for example, runs upon ice which he 
knows is not strong enough to bear him, or climbs a tree, 
from which he can easily fall, or engages in any play, 
which may injure his health or his limbs, — such a child 
tempts God to leave him, to the effects of his own mis- 
conduct. The child who refuses to learn what good and 
evil is, when it is in his power to do so, who is inatten- 
tive to his teachers and the minister, and makes no efforts 
or but feeble ones, to ascertain what is right, tempts God 
to give him up to the effects of his own ignorance. Had 
Christ thrown himself down from the pinnacle of the tem- 
ple, as the devil wanted him to do, he would have tempt- 
ed his Father in heaven. If a child associates without 
any necessity, with bad playmates, he tempts God to 
leave him to be as bad as they are. Now the Bible de- 



60 REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF JESUS. 

clares, and Christ has confirmed the declaration, that 
" Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'' To tempt 
God, therefore, is very wicked ; and he who tempts God, 
has no reason to think that God will hear him, or answer 
his prayers. On the other hand, there is great reason 
to fear that such persons will he left to fall into tempta- 
tion and sin. 

3. Boldly resist every temptation to sin, which you 
meet with. Be afraid to do what is wicked, never be 
afraid to do what is good. If you have wicked thoughts, 
put them out of your minds, and go to thinking what is 
right, repeating religious poetry, or portions of scripture, 
or your prayers. Above all things, * If sinners entice 
you, do not consent. 5 If wicked youths try to make 
you do what is bad, never mind what they say ; disre- 
gard their ridicule, and get away from them, as soon as 
you can. Many a youth has been lost, because he had 
not courage enough to resist the ridicule of his wicked 
companions. Do you recollect how boldly Joseph resist- 
ed Potiphar's wife, when she tried to entice him into sin ? ' 
' How can I do this great wickedness,' said he, ' and sin 
against God ;' and then he got away from her as soon as 
he could. Do you do so too, whenever you are tempted 
to sin by your wicked companions, or any other persons. 

4. Remember how much it will grieve your parents, 
and all good people, to find out that you do what is 
wrong ; and how much they will rejoice, when they hear 
that you do what is right. Do you not love your parents, 
who are so kind to you, and do so much for you ? Can 
you bear to think of grieving them, by doing any thing, 
which, if they should find it out, would make them feel 
very sorry ? 

5. Remember how much you will grieve your Savior 



COD WILL SEE ME. 01 

by doing what is wrong. The Savior had such love for 
vou and the rest of mankind, that lie came down from 
heaven and suffered and died, to save you all from your 
sins. You remember his cruel death. Now can you 
bear to think of grieving one, who has done and suffered 
so much for you ? You will grieve him, if you do not 
firmly resist every temptation you meet with, just as he 
did, when he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. 

6. Remember that God always sees and knows every 
thing you think, do, or say, both in the day-time and in 
the night, at home and abroad. Y r ou cannot hide any 
thing from him ; and when you die, you will have to an- 
swer to him for every thing you have done. 

There was once a little girl, called Elizabeth, who was 
kept from sin, by remembering that God is every where, 
and knows all things. She had some playmates who 
were in the habit of usintf language which she had been 
told was very wicked. As she was with them one day 
in a garret, where there was not much light ; they tried 
to bring her also to use wicked language, and told her 
that she should speak such words as they did. She replied, 
I must n >t,for it is ivickcd. But you shall, said they, for 
we are up in the garret ; nobody will hear you. No, she 
said, I must not, for God tcill hear me. But you shall, 
they replied ; it is all dark, there is no window, nobody 
can see you. No, she again replied, without any hesita- 
tion, no, I must not, for God will see me. 

If you are always thus bold to resist every temptation 
to sin, you will soon find it becoming easier and easier to 
do what is good. Your wicked companions will soon 
cease to trouble you ; and though you may not know 
that good spirits come and minister to your wants, a« 
they did to those of Jesus, after he had been tried with 

6 



62 THE RASH YOUTH. 

hunger, and beset with temptation in the wilderness ; yet 
you will feel that you have done right, and this will fill 
you with joy, and make you happy. 

But if you do not, — if you give way to temptation ! — 

how I wish I had never given way to temptation ! I 
should have escaped from a great deal of sorrow. And 

1 have known many persons beside me, who also gave 
way to temptation, and regretted it, when too late. What 
shall I say to you, my dear young friends, to show you 
the great danger of consenting even for once, to think 
what is sinful ! Let me lead you to the bank of yonder 
broad stream. How beautiful it is ! And do you hear 
the water roar down below us, and see how it foams and 
sends the spray up into the air ? No person can pass 
down those falls in the strongest boat that ever was, 
without being dashed to pieces. If a man in crossing the 
river ever finds himself drawn into the current, his only 
way of escape is to get out of it as soon as possible. If he 
gives himself up to the stream, he is certainly lost. And 
yet there was a young man who felt strong and skilful 
at the oar, and rashly ventured to sport a while with 
the danger. I stood watching him, trembling for his 
safety, and calling loudly to him, and begging him to de- 
sist from such rash conduct; but the more I called, the 
hardier he became. For a long time, he ventured far 
and returned in safety. But there was a point from 
which, if he ventured beyond it, he could never re- 
turn, though he knew not where it was. At length, hav- 
ing insensibly ventured farther than usual, he turned to 
make his escape, but found it too late. I saw him. His 
countenance became pale in an instant. His strong 
arm was unnerved at once. He shrieked for help, but 



REFLECTIONS ON JESUS' DOCTRINES. 63 

was hurried furiously away with the stream, and dashed 
to pieces among the rocks. 

And just so it is with temptation. When a person 
feels its current drawing him away, it is high time for 
him to bestir himself. His only safety then, is in making 
immediate escape from the danger. If he dallies, relying 
upon his strength, venturing from time to time a little 
farther, he will soon, to his horror find, that he has ven- 
tured too far, and be driven down the stream and dashed 
to pieces, as thousands have been before him. 

Thus Samson played with Delilah, until he became 
shorn of his locks ; and David indulged his eyes, until he 
became an adulterer and a murderer ; and Judas cher- 
ished the love of getting money, until, for thirty pieces of 
silver, he betrayed the Son of God to his enemies. 

Do then, my dear youth, take warning in season. Your 
only safety consists in stemming trie current, whenever 
you find it drawing you downwards, — in escaping from it 
for your life, just as Lot did, from the kindling flames of 
Sodom and Gomorrah. 



II. Reflections on Jesus' doctrines. 

SECTION VII. 

Introductory Remarks. 

When, my young friends, you become truly acquaint- 
ed with the doctrines of Jesus, and see how good and ex- 



64 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS' DOCTRINES. 

cellent they are, you will certainly approve of them, as 
well as delight to follow them, and will look upon their 
author, our Savior, as to the highest degree worthy of 
your lore. All his doctrines, or, in other words, the re- 
ligious truths which he taught, are divine ; that is, they 
are in all respects agreeable to the feelings, the will of 
God. They are all of a beneficial tendency, adapted to 
bring us to God, and expressly designed to make men 
wise, and happy, both for time and for eternity. I will 
make you acquainted with those of them in particular, 
which are of especial importance to you in the period of 
youth ; with a clear and thorough knowledge of which 
indeed it is impossible for you safely to dispense ; and I 
hope you will be persuaded to give your attention to 
them, and treasure them up in your hearts. If you do 
so, every thing will certainly go well with you, both in 
this world and after death. 



SECTION VIII. 



Christ's Sermon on the Mount. 

After Jesus had made choice of disciples to be 
with him, accompany him on his journeys, and, from 
him, prepare to become teachers of mankind, he as- 
cended a high hill or a mountain, and from it addressed 
to them, and others who were with them, a discourse full 
of the most excellent instruction. This discourse is 






!I!S SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 



or, 



usually called, Christ < Senium on the Mount. The fol- 
lowing are some of the things which he taught on this 
occasion, which, in order that you may better under- 
stand them, I shall give to you in varied language. 

11 Blessed are those who in deep humility, feel and con- 
fess themselves destitute of a knowledge of divine good, 
and genuine piety, while they earnestly desire and strive to 
obtain them, and become rich in them ; for such persons 
shall become wise, pious and happy. — Blessed are those 
who bear the sorrows of this life, with patience ; for 
they shall be comforted. — Blessed are those who do not 
permit themselves to be excited to anger, by the abuses 
of wicked men ; for they shall always live in tranquillity, 
and enjoy their temporal favors and blessings, in great se- 
curity. — Blessed are those who really hunger and thirst 
after every thing that is right and well pleasing in the 
sight of God, — who have earnest desires to know the 
truth, and become truly holy ; for their wants shall be 
supplied, their desires shall be satisfied. — Blessed are the 
merciful ; for God will show mercy to them again in re- 
turn. — Blessed are those who permit no wicked thoughts, 
no sinful desires, to reign within them, — who put down 
every evil thing that arises in their minds, and preserve 
their hearts pure and holy ; for both in this life and that 
which is to come, they shall have the closest heart-felt 
union with the perfectly holy God ; they shall share more 
and more in his grace, and shall finally obtain eternal 
happiness. — Blessed are those who love peace and har- 
mony, and strive to promote them ; for God will love such 
persons as his children, and bless them with peculiar fa- 
vors. — Blessed are those who are persecuted and ill 
treated, because they do what is good ; for they shall 
certainly enjoy the grace of God, and at last obtain eter- 

6* 



6G 

nal happiness. — Blessed are you when men revile you, 
persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you, 
merely because you are my friends and followers. Re- 
joice then and he exceedingly glad ; for there is a great 
reward laid up for you in heaven. In this case you are 
treated as prophets and other good men have been before 
you." 

What noble, what useful doctrines! If every member 
of every family observed them, what happy families we 
should have ! There would then be no quarrelling in 
then). Brothers and sisters would all love one another. 
And this world too would soon be changed. Haughti- 
ness and murmuring and revengefulness would every 
where cease from among men, swords be beat into 
plough-shares, spears into pruning hooks, and the fierce 
looking, bloody warrior, return from the field of battle, to 
sit down in peace and happiness under his own vine 
and fig-tree. The earth would then be full of hunger- 
ing and thirsting after righteousness. Purity, and calm- 
ness, and benevolence, and love, would universally pre- 
vail. 

Let me ask you, my dear youth, whether you live in 
such a peaceable and happy family. There are indeed 
but few such to be found. But there are a few. It has 
been my lot to meet with here and there one, in my in- 
tercourse with the world. They were usually retired 
from the noise and bustle of life ; and yet the stranger 
was kindly received and entertained, whenever he knock- 
ed for admittance. Their abodes seemed hallowed. 
There was the sweet voice, the honest tone, the fraternal 
salutation, and the benevolent look. And then the morn- 
ing and evening prayer and praise ascended to God ; and 
if sorrow pressed upon a single heart, it was mutually 



HAPPY AND UNHAPPY FAMILIES. G7 

shared ; and it was borne with holy resignation to the 
will of heaven. Happy, happy families! While reckon- 
ed of their number, 1 have almost forgotten my mortality, 
and fancied myself in the family of heaven, — at least, I 
have said to myself, would to God, it were my lot to live 
and die, far removed from all the turmoils of public ac- 
tivity, among a few such celestial spirits. Methinks life 
would be divested of half its sorrows, and death itself 
prove a gentle passage to the tomb. 

But alas ! with many families it is widely different. 
They bear but little resemblance to a family of paradise. 
They are full of bickerings, cross words, unkind looks, 
and almost every thing that is bad. Is it your lot, to live 
in such a family ? Then ask yourselves, how far you have 
hitherto been the cause of its unhappiness. Have you 
striven after the blessings pronounced by Jesus, of which 
you have just been reading? 

Have you always showed yourselves peacemakers, when 
with other children and youth, with your brothers and sis- 
ters, with the domestics, or with any other persons in your 
father's family ? Have you always carefully avoided all 
bitterness and contention ? When any one has done to 
you, what you did not like, or injured you in any way, 
have you not become angry, and tried at once to injure him 
in return ? Have you in such cases, always carefully re- 
mained silent, or, instead of revenging yourselves, gone 
and given a true account of the wrong you had received, 
to your parents and teachers, in order that the person who 
had injured you, might be prevented from injuring you 
again, or be reformed ? 

Have you always showed yourselves merciful, when 
you had an opportunity to do so ? Of the money which 
you have received of your parents and friends, have you 



88 REFLECTIONS ON JLSL's' DOCTRINES. 

let poor children, or sick people, or the poor heathen, 
have a part ? When you have seen other youths hungry 
and without victuals, have you readily shared with them 
any food that you possessed? Have you never joined 
in ridiculing or trying to injure any playmate or little 
child, when you have found others doing so? Is it cer- 
tain, — would your companions now tell me, — that you 
do not belong to the number of those wicked young per- 
sons, who delight in cruelty ? 

Are you always pure in heart ? For you are not even 
to think what is wrong. You are to have no other 
thoughts or desires than God himself permits. Have 
you no others ? Is your heart thus pure ? Do you al- 
low wicked thoughts to remain within you, or do you put 
them out of your minds, as soon as they arise, and go at 
,once to thinking of something that is good ? Have you 
never seen any school-mate or brother or sister, that had 
something which you longed for very much, and, full of 
envy, tried to get away ? Have you never been guilty 
of contriving mischief against any one? 

Happy will it be for you, if your heart and conduct, 
are, and continue to remain, until death, as pure as Jesus 
requires. You may be ridiculed and pointed at as a 
young saint, but all good people will love you, and the 
almighty God will be your Father and friend, not only 
in this life, but in that which is to come. Jesus Christ 
was abused for being good. You ought surely not to 
murmur, if you fare as well as your Savior. 



Or a LI (JUT AM) l.ANGl.VGR. 09 

SECTION IX. 

Christ's Sermon on the Mount, continued. 

There are some other things taught in Christ's Set- 
inon on the Mount, which are of particular importance to 
the young, and to which I must also call your attention. 

,v Men, 5 ' says he, " do not light a candle, to place it 
under a bed or a measure, but to put it in a candle-stick, 
and set it where it can fill a room or a house, with light. 
And thus, if you have any light, you must let it so shine 
that others may see it, and receive light from it." 

The meaning of the Savior in these words, is very easy 
to be understood. We are not indeed to make a display 
of our piety. This would be certain proof that we do 
not possess much. But, on the other hand, we are not 
to keep our piety concealed. If good, we are to show it 
in our lives and actions, in order that others, encouraged 
by our example, may also become good, and be brought 
to give praise and glory to God. Your real character 
must shine forth, in all you say and do. In the presence 
of your parents, teachers, brothers, sisters, and, in short, 
all with whom you associate, you must let it always be 
seen by your conduct, that you are a good and pious 
child. 

You know that the third commandment forbids our 
swearing and using the name of God, in a disrespectful 
manner. Now Jesus Christ forbids the same thing. 
1 Swear not at all/ says he. ' Affirm or strengthen what 
you say, by simply saying, yes, or no.' " Let your com- 
munication be yea, yea, nay, nay." 



70 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS' DOCTRINES. 

Attend diligently to this commandment. Strive to 
know what is true and upright, and then speak it; and 
depend upon it, your simple yes or no, will be believed 
sooner than the greatest oaths, of those children who love 
to tell lies. No body is so much despised in this world 
as liars ; and besides, most awful punishments are threat- 
ened against them in the Bible. 

According to our Savior's command, also, whenever 
you give any thing to the poor, you must be careful not 
to do it for the sake of boasting of it, or of getting praise ; 
but because it is the will, the command of God your hea- 
venly Father, that you should be kind and benevolent. 
Recollect that your heavenly Father, always sees and 
knows what you do, even though nobody else does ; that 
lie never forgets any of his children, or their works; and 
that he will certainly reward all who obey his will. 

And think, how happy it will make you feel in the 
great day of judgment, when you stand before him, with 
ail who have ever lived, to hear him mention your name 
with praise, — to hear him say : " Well done, good and 
faithful servant." That praise will not be given to those 
who ought not to receive it, and it will be worth more 
than all the praise you can ever obtain from the world. 

To all these doctrines, these commands, of the Savior, I 
hope you will carefully attend, — committing them to 
memory, impressing them upon your hearts, and practis- 
ing them in your lives. If you do so, you will become 
good and happy, and bless the Lord that he ever gave 
you pious parents and friends, and taught you his will. 
If you do not, every thing will go bad with you in the 
end, and you will wish that you had been born among 
the heathen. I am very much afraid that this is what 
many young persons and children do not think of. I am 



ALMSGIVING AND OBEDIENCE. 71 

quite sure that there are many grown persons who know 
the will of God, and yet do it not ; and I am afraid that 
there are many sabbath-school children, who can repeat 
a great deal of the Bible, and yet do not try to practise a 
word of it, — who attend the sabbath-school, hear the 
scripture explained, and understand it, and yet go right 
awav and do just what it has forbidden. Indeed, I have 
seen children of this character. At sabbath-school, they 
could repeat all the 139th Psalm, which speaks about 
God's being every where present, in heaven, earth, and 
hell ; and yet at home or among their playmates, they 
acted just as though God never saw them, and knew 
nothing about them. At sabbath-school they could hear 
*^g teacher explain the words : " My son, if sinners en- 
tice thee, consent thou not ;" but as soon as they had left 
it, they would yield to the solicitations of some wicked 
playmate to go away and play on the sabbath-day, or to 
swear and use the name of God in a very irreverent and 
wicked manner. At sabbath-school they could repeat 
the fifth commandment by heart, and give a good account 
of the three first verses of the 6th chapter of Ephesians ; 
but at home they treated their parents with great disrespect, 
and were very disobedient and wicked children. Such chil- 
dren are making their hearts worse and worse, and I am 
afraid they will come to some dreadful end, and perhaps 
die at last on the gallows ; for in a little while they get ti- 
red of going to sabbath-school, and neglect it all together. 
They try also to keep away from all places of instruction. 
They prefer to do their own wills. They at length run 
away from their guardians or parents. Then they have 
their full gratification in sin. But, poor youth ! sin bites 
in the end like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Death 
at length overtakes them, and if they are not led away 



73 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS' DOCTRINES. 

by some human arm to die on the scaffold, they feel that 
they are about to be hurried away to the great scaffold of 
the eternal Judge, and on it, to be subjected to all the 
pains of eternal death. And go then they must, for repent- 
ance is too late. God will hear them, will be gracious 
and merciful to them no more. 

II Y M N. 

Let no foul passion ever rise, 

Nor dare to lie and swear ; 
For God, tlio' far above the skies, 

Can sec you every where. 

1 Let love through all your actions run, 

And every word be mild ; 
As did the blessed virgin's Son, 

When like thyself a child.' 

Before your friends and playmates dear. 

Be gentle and divine; 
And let it evermore appear, 

That Jesus Christ is thine. 

If thus you do, where'er you go, 

Encircled in his love 
You'll find yourself, while here below, 

And live with him above. 



SECTION X. 

Prayer. 



Among the other duties, my young friends, which you 
have to perform, if you would become pious and happy, 



TRAYER, ITS BENEFITS. JESUS PRAYED. 73 

is that of prayer. Of this you have doubtless already 
been told, by those who Jove you. By thinking much 
on God, and conversing with him often in prayer, you 
will certainly always preserve a love and respect for him 
in your hearts. Prayer will make you strong to resist 
all enticements to sin, — every temptation. It will bring 
you to look upon the various follies and pleasures of youth 
with increasing dislike, and in the end, to regard them 
with utter aversion. It will raise your eyes above this 
world, and fix them on the brighter one which lies be- 
yond the grave. If you pray with a right spirit, you 
will find God gracious to you, not only in your youth, but 
at every future period of your life, and as long as you 
continue to exist. 

Of all this I think you cannot fail to be fully persuad- 
ed, if you call to mind the many instances recorded in 
the Bible, of persons having received great favors from 
God, in answer to their prayers ; and especially when 
you come to be better acquainted with the zeal of Jesus 
in this respect ; for Jesus, as I shall hereafter tell you, 
often prayed ; sometimes all night long ; and generally 
in the most solitary places. 

,; Cold mountains and the midnight air, 
Witnessed the fervor of his prayer." 

And what strength and comfort he derived from this ex- 
ercise ! What joy it imparted to his soul ! And then he 
has told us all about the manner in which we are to pray. 
How kind, how very kind, the Savior has shown him- 
self, in what he has done for us in only this one re- 
spect ; — in setting us such an example, in exhorting us 
with such earnestness to pray, and in telling us how to 
perform this duty, if we would truly please our heaven- 
7 






7 4 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS* DOCTRINES. 

ly Father, and be heard and answered by him ! For 
how miserable would be the condition of that little child 
which should find itself without any father or friend to 
go to, in the midst of a thick wood, in a dark night ; and 
how mucli more miserable would our condition be in 
this world, without a God to go to, or without knowing 
how to pray ! 

Taking the directions of Jesus, then, for your guide, — 
do not imitate the hypocrites. They prayed only for the 
sake of being seen of men, and this was all they gain- 
ed by their prayers. When you wish to pray, go into 
your chamber, or some other secret place, and there 
pray to God in silence, and all alone. He is present 
there with you in your solitude. He sees your heart. He 
listens to your sighs ; and be assured he will make it evi- 
dent that he heard your prayers, though unheard by men. 

Do not let your prayers consist of mere chattering, of 
vain repetitions, or of words and phrases which you can 
not understand. Men pray thus who are ignorant of God, 
as the prophets of Baal did, before Elijah. They imagine 
that God will hear them so much the sooner for often 
repeating what they say, or using a great number of 
words. Do not imitate them. Carefully avoid all such 
conceits. See to it, whenever you pray, that you under- 
stand what you say, and pray in your mind ; and if in 
reading a prayer or in repeating one which you have 
learned by heart, you find any thing obscure or unintelli- 
gible, ask somebody wiser, to explain it to you. 

Gaze not around you while you are praying, suffer 
not your thoughts to be in pursuit of any thing else, and 
do not run over your prayers in thoughtless haste, as lit- 
tle children are apt to do. All this is very improper 
and indeed very wicked, in Christian youths. 



HOW TO PRAY. THE LORD'S PRAYER. 7%> 

You must not only understand your prayers and at- 
tend to them, but you must pray from the heart, that is, 
according to the feelings and wishes of your heart, speak- 
ing the truth before God, just as you would do, if you 
were conversing with your dear parents and friends. Je- 
sus has given you an example, from which you may learn 
with what simplicity and deep sincerity, you ought to 
converse with God ; as well as the reasons why you should 
pray to him in particular. You have known this prayer 
called the Lord's prayer, by heart, almost from your in- 
fancy. I will give it to you with some explanation : 

" Father of all men, who art exalted over all, let thy 
glorious attributes be made truly known to every one, 
and be praised with the deepest reverence, both in words 
and works. O grant, blessed God, that thy kingdom, — the 
kingdom of truth, virtue, and happiness, — may be con- 
tinually extended. Help me also to yield a willing and 
heartfelt obedience to thy laws ; and as thy will is done 
in heaven, so let it also be done on earth. O Lord, I am 
thine ; do with me at all times and under all circum- 
stances, as it seems good in thy sight. Give us this 
day, whatever is needful to our preservation and real hap- 
piness in this world. Forgive us the sins which we have 
committed against thee, as we forgive every one, what- 
ever offence he has committed against us. Suffer us not 
to fall into evil and meet with temptation to sin. Stand 
by us, when we do. Save us from every thing that is 
wicked and injurious to our true welfare ; for thou art 
our supreme Lord, and from thee comes whatever good 
thing we stand in need of. To thee we owe eternal praise 
and thanksgiving ! Amen. I have filial confidence in 
thee, that thou wilt hear this prayer." 

In order that your prayer be agreeable to God and ob- 



76 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS* DOCTRINES 

tain his hearing, you must pray in the name of Jesus ; 
that is, you must pray according to the directions of Je- 
sus, with a humble and upright heart, and feeling confi- 
dent that God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, will hear 
your prayer and answer it at the best time and in the best 
manner. You must also have a spirit of forgiveness. You 
must not even think that God will hear you, answer your 
prayers, and forgive your sins, if you cannot and do not 
sincerely forgive others all the injuries they have done 
you. 

And besides, your prayers and your actions must agree 
together. When you pray to God for any particular fa- 
vors, you must show by your actions that you really 
want them. If you pray for the conversion of a brother 
or a sister, you must act towards them as though you 
wished for their conversion. This agreement of your ac- 
tions and your prayers, is the only proof you can give of 
your sincerity. And you must pray continually ; not that 
you are to be always on your knees, making petitions to 
God ; but that you must be habitual in the perform- 
ance of this duty, ever thirst after holiness, and always 
have that spirit within you, without which no one can 
expect God to hear him. 

Think of what has now been told you, and go with 
confidence to your Savior. He has often exhorted us 
to pray to God through him, and told us to put confidence 
in him. If you always pray according to his directions, — 
with as pious and humble a heart as he prayed, — you 
may be assured, that God will hear your prayer at the 
right time, and grant you whatever it is good for you to 
have. Upon this subject there is no need of doubts, for 
Jesus has expressly declared, that he who asks shall re- 



PRAY IN ACTION. GOD A I\TUFR 



Ti 



ceivc : and to remove all fear in this respect, he has ad- 
ded a plain illustration. 

" A good father/' says he, |4 when asked by a son foi 
bread, will not give him instead thereof, a stone or a 
poisonous serpent." Did either of your parents, my child, 
ever serve you so? Whenever you ask them for any 
thing, do you not feel perfectly confident that they will 
let you have it, if they think proper? " God is the be<t 
of fathers, our heavenly Father," adds the Savior in 
meaning; " and how much more readily will he give 
good things to those who ask him for them." 

And if, my child, you always go to God in prayer, feel- 
that he is the kindest of fathers, and putting confi- 
dence in his wisdom and goodness, you will always have 
a source of happiness, of which no one can deprive you, — 
a friend to guide you, whose feelings no one can alienate 
from you. Your parents and all your earthly friends may 
be taken from you ; or, by some means or other, they 
may be brought to dislike you. But nothing of all this 
can ever happen with respect to God. He remains eter- 
nally the same. He loves those who love him, and it is 
impossible for him ever to cease to love them. 

With such a friend on your side you have nothing to 
fear. Should wicked men take away your life, it would 
only hasten your journey a little through this world, and 
bring you sooner home to your God. With such feelings 
even though orphans in the world, you will always be 
able, rejoicingly, to unite with the Psalmist in saying : 
M The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." 

•• The Lord my shepherd is, 
1 shall be well supplied : 



78 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS' DOCTRINES, 

Since he is mine, and I am his, 
What can I want beside ? 

He leads me to the place, 

Where heavenly pasture grows, 

Where living waters gently pass, 
And full salvation flows.'' 



SECTION XL 

Of the law of reward. 

L suppose the most of you, my dear readers, to be still 
young ; but you have lived long enough to see how peo- 
ple generally act towards each other, when left to them- 
selves. Perhaps even now, should your sister strike you, 
you would begin to think at once of striking her. At 
least when one playmate finds himself injured by anoth- 
er, he most usually sets about revenge. And when one 
child sees another in difficulty, how often, instead of try- 
ing to help him, he seems to rejoice over his misfortune! 

As with children and youth, so with older people. If 
one neighbor receives injury from another, he begins 
in ordinary cases, to think at once of revenge, especially 
if there be a little obstinacy in the way ; while there are 
thousands in the world, who never think of assisting 
those who are needy and distressed, unless they hope to 
receive some favor in return. 

Our Savior was well acquainted with this trait of hu- 



LAW OF REWARD J ILL! STRATED. 79 

man nature. " With what measure ye mete," says he, 
"it shall be measured to you again/' That is, whatever 
you do to others, you must expect them to do to you in 
return. 

These words of our Savior, however, mean more than 
this. They also mean that God himself will invariably 
reward us according to our works. He has resolved, that 
with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us 
again. If we show ourselves kind, and full of good feel- 
ing towards others, we shall find them kind and full of 
good feeling towards us. If we assist the miserable, we 
shall find them, and multitudes of others, if they can do 
it, ready to assist us, whenever we stand in need of it. 
We shall have the gratification of seeing even our ene- 
mies become our friends, or cease to oppose us. At 
least it is certain, that God will approve of what we do, 
and bless us with his favor. 

If, on the other hand, we show ourselves unkind, — if 
we are treacherous and hard and unmerciful towards 
our associates, we shall find them treacherous and hard 
and unmerciful towards us in return. At least it is cer- 
tain we shall not escape punishment, for God never suf- 
fers the guilty to escape. It may not come upon us at 
the very moment in which we do what is wicked, but 
depend upon it, it will ultimately come. This is evident 
from many examples of this kind, to be found in the Bi- 
ble. 

The case of Joseph's brethren is exactly to the pur- 
pose. You recollect, perhaps, the history. They had 
torn him, whom they ought to have protected and de- 
fended, away from his father's house, and, in spite of his 
bitter grief, the deep anguish of his soul, and his earnest 
entreaties, sold him as a slave to a company of Ishmael- 



^U ItEFi.i:< i iu.\- DN IBSUtf 1 DOCTRINES. 

ites; but they were punished for their conduct. They 
had cruelly put him to anguish, slid they were afterwards 
put to anguish in their turn. Standing before the very 
person whom they had bo much abused, they sighed, and 
in their anguish, said among themselves : " We are veri- 
ly guilty concerning our brother. 91 

And in the case of Ilaman, too, who hated Mordecai, 
because he received more honor from the king, than he 
himself, and therefore sought to bring him to the gallows, 
and to destroy all the Jewish nation to which he belong- 
ed. He was brought to the gallows himself, and died 
in the same way in which he intended Mordecai to die. 

And then those wicked people, who, in order to gratify 
their hatred and destroy Daniel, contrived to get him 
cast into the lions' den ; how dreadfully and yet how just- 
ly they were punished! They were thrown into that 
very den, into which Daniel had been cast, and were 
torn in pieces. 

And there are a great many such instances to be met 
with in common life. It is often the case, that the chil- 
dren of rich and distinguished parents, strike the child- 
ren of poor, but good parents, and treat them with ridi- 
cule and contempt. They feel perhaps too good to play 
with them, sit upon the same seat, or even go to the same 
school. In a few years, however, both grow up, and a 
great change takes place in their condition. God in his 
providence makes the rich parenls and their children 
poor, and the others rich. The first are turned out of 
house, and deprived in one night of all they have, by 
fire ; or they meet with great calamities in the course of 
their business, which defeat all their plans : or in the 
midst of abundant wealth, they become idle, and care- 
less, and vicious, and thus lose all they have. The oth- 



( VSES. ATKWLU. JIIM.IM. OTHIIKS. B] 

proeper far more than they expected ; every thing fa- 
vors them; their holds yield great crops ; or their trade 
flourishes; and in the end, they find themselves and 
their descendants, rich ; and under such circumstances, 
it is not uncommon to see those children or men, slight- 
ed and ridiculed and treated with contempt, by the very 
persons whom they once treated with contempt them- 
selves. 

Many a child too, who has filled the hearts of his pa- 
rents with deep sorrow, has found his own heart, in some 
way or other, filled with deep sorrow in return, when he 
has grown up. Often have men, when brought into 
great calamities, thrown into prison, bound in chains, or 
led away to die on the scaffold, been heard to cry out, 
that their sufferings and punishment were just what they 
deserved for the unkind manner in which they had treat- 
ed their parents. " O, had I obeyed my parents, I should 
never have come to this. How much my poor mother 
suffered on my account. I was the means of hastening 
her death; and now I am reaping the reward of my do- 
ings." 

Depend upon it, Jesus knew what he meant, when he 
said : " With what measure ye mete, it shall be measur- 
ed to you again ;" or as he has more forcibly expressed 
the same thought in another place : " He that taketh 
the sword, shall perish by the sword." If you ever read 
history much, and with an observing mind, you will find 
it full of illustrations of this truth. In the book of eterni- 
ty, in particular, when unfolded to view, you will read its 
fulfilment in most conspicuous characters, on every page. 

Let this then be your daily prayer : " Guide me, O 
blessed God, by thy Holy Spirit, and leave me not to 
cause my parents and teachers any sorrow. Never suffer 



B2 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS* DOCTRINES. 

me even to think of injuring any one. O deliver me 
from that misery and deep anguish of heart, which wick- 
ed doers will certainly experience, at least in the world 
to come." 

In this connexion, my young readers, you should also 
reflect upon what the Savior has said about our judging 
others. " Judge not," says he, " that ye be not judg- 
ed. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned." 

You sin against this rule, or you break it, if you are in 
the habit of thinking and speaking the worst things 
about your fellow creatures ; if, instead of speaking good 
about others, and dealing kindly with their faults, or mak- 
ing suitable apologies for them, you look only at their 
faults, trying to make them greater than they really are, 
and spreading them all around you, while perhaps you re- 
joice over them, and treat them with ridicule. Great, in- 
deed, is your crime, in this respect, if you wantonly in- 
vent lies about others, and feign what is wicked. Guard 
yourselves against this hateful practice, and particularly 
against the weakness so common to youth, of treating the 
faults of others with ridicule. Look to your own defects. 
Are you sure, that you are not worse than those whom 
you abuse? Endeavor to ascertain your own characters. 
How very foolish for you to have acuteness enough to 
discover a trifling error in the conduct of others, and yet 
be unable to detect the most frightful errors in your- 
selves ! • It is,' says the Savior, ' as if you should dis- 
cover a man, with a little mote or splinter in his eye, and 
should think of nothing else but drawing it out, while 
you had a beam, a far more dangerous wound, in your 
own eye, and would not be informed of it.' 

Be assured, that if you see how full of error and sin, 
you are yourselves, and how much kindness and forbear* 



ATTEND TO voir son.. 88 

ancc you need from your friends and all good people, you 
will think far less of the faults, the wickedness of others. 
On the other hand, you will always have kindness and 
love in your heart towards them, even when they are very 
bad ; and with such feelings you will not be very apt to 
calumniate them or judge them with severity. The lan- 
guage of your heart will rather be : 

Help, Jesus, help me e'er to love my neighbor. 
To kindly share in all his pain and labor, 
And hold his name in estimation duly, 
As mine, most truly. 

O guard, me, lest I judge his faults severely ; 
Let me not fail to hide them most sincerely, 

Nor, when he falls, tho' standing, thence in sorrow. 
Due care to borrow. 



SECTION XII. 

Seekjirst the kingdom of heaven, 

If we were to live only in this world, and, at death, 
cease to exist forever, then it would be wise to attend 
chiefly to the things of time, and treat religion and eternity, 
at best, merely as pleasing dreams. Since, however, it 
is certain that we are to live beyond the grave, and live 
there forever, and that too, in a state of happiness or mis- 
ery, every one who reflects upon the subject, must see 
it to be very foolish to neglect religion and eternal things, 
and feel himself called upon by the voice of wisdom her- 



84 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS' DOCTRINES. 

self, to attend in the very first place, to the concerns of 
the soul. 

As we should expect then, Jesus exhorts us to seek 
first the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God. 
The same thing he does frequently in different ways, 
sometimes telling us to set our affections on things above ; 
at others, to lay up our treasures in heaven. As if he 
said : 

11 Let it be the object of all your efforts to live for God, 
— to live such a life of wisdom and piety, as shall through 
my grace, gain you admittance, when you die, into 
the kingdom of heaven. For this purpose, fear God and 
keep his commandments. Learn not those things which 
relate alone to this world, which are adapted merely to 
make you happy in this life ; but seek that wisdom which 
will make you happy for eternity. To do this is not on- 
ly to make yourselves acquainted with the divine will, 
but to practise it, keeping your eyes all the time upon 
the world above, and living alone for God." I might pre- 
sent various motives to induce you to obey the injunction 
of the Savior, to seek first the kingdom of God, in addi- 
tion to the fact, that they are the words of the Savior him- 
self. 

Remember that this world, and every thing it contains 
is passing away ; that thieves and robbers, and time and 
misfortune, stand ready to deprive us of all our earthly 
possessions ; that your parents and friends will soon be 
taken away from you ; that you yourselves may be oblig- 
ed to endure sickness and distress for years; that cries 
of grief and groans and tales of woe, attend us at every 
stage of our course through this world. 

On the other hand, remember, that he who does the 
will of God, shall nevertheless, be sustained in all his 



THE DESIRABLENESS OF HEAVEN. 66 

trials, be reconciled to the will of God, feeling that he 
does all things right, be always to a greater or less degree 
happy, and, after death, be put in possession of riches, in 
a region, where there are no thieves to steal, and where 
neither moth nor rust will corrupt. It is indeed ven 
painful to die. And yet a great many men as well as 
youth and children have longed to go to heaven and be 
with Jesus, where there is no sin and no sorrow. And 
if you fear God, when your end draws near, you will prob- 
ably wish to die and go there too. And will you not seek 
this kingdom ? 

Suppose a vessel should come to us from a great dis- 
tance, and tell us, that a new and wonderful island had 
been discovered ; that in beauty of landscape and health- 
fulness of climate, it far surpassed every thing that had 
hitherto been seen in the world ; that there was no win- 
ter there, nor autumn, but one eternal spring ; that there 
was no sickness or sorrow or death, ever heard of, in all 
the region ; that its inhabitants were immortal, and full of 
kindness and love, and ever laboring to do good to each 
other; that peace and happiness forever dwelt in every 
bosom, and ruled over the whole ; that moreover the in- 
habitant of the world, whatever his character and from 
whatever part he came, provided he left every thing be- 
hind, should be admitted into this island and made par- 
taker of all its happiness : Would you not long to become 
one of its inhabitants and secure its promised bless- 
ings, its immortal joys ? Would you not be willing to sub- 
mit to conditions somewhat severe, in order to obtain 
them ? Would you not be very anxious to embark for it 
at once, lest you should die before you got there ? O, me- 
thinks we should every one of us part immediately with 
all we have, and embark for this island. We certainly 

8 



H REFLECTIONS ON JESUS' DOCTRINES. 

should not suffer ourselves to be hindered by any thing. 
We should hasten away with all the speed imaginable, 
from this world of sin and sorrow and death, and as soon 
as possible, secure the blessings offered. 

There is indeed no such island in this world ; but be- 
yond the grave there is a region which far surpasses it. 
There is no sighing or sorrow or death there, nor winter, 
nor autumn, nor even night. It is full of beauty, and 
happiness. There is to be found there the river of the 
water of life, and trees bearing twelve kinds of fruit. It 
is full of green fields. There is not a thief, or liar, or 
swearer, or adulterer, or any other vile person, to be found 
there. All its inhabitants are good. They are in every 
respect lovely. They are continually praising the Re- 
deemer. They are happier than it is possible for us even to 
think. And among them, too, we shall find some of our 
own dear friends who are dead, — a dear mother, or bro- 
ther, or sister, for whom we have often wept. 

Now when Christ tells us to seek first the kingdom of 
heaven, he means that we shall so live and act, that when 
we come to die, we may be admitted into this happy re- 
gion. He came down to die for us and help us to get 
there. The only condition he imposes upon us, is, that 
we shall give all up to him, and love him and serve him 
in this world ; while at the same time, he assures us, that 
if we do so, it shall be far better for us even in this life. 
Will you not then, dear youth, seek first the kingdom of 
God, and be happy while you live, and forever after death ? 

But remember you can never enter heaven, if you are 
not made good and holy through Jesus Christ, and do 
not give up every thing for his sake. If you disobey 
your parents, and quarrel with your playmates, and break 
the sabbath, and lie, and cheat, and swear, and steal, and 



TACTION AGAINST DECEPTION. v ~ 

love this world better than you do Jesus, you must be forev- 
er shut out of this glorious region. For all such persons, 
there is a dreadful place prepared, full of darkness and 
misery and everlasting death. 

Think of this, and going away alone, pray God, for 
the sake of Jesus Christ, to forgive your sins and prepare 
you to enter his glorious kingdom. He will certainly 
hear you and answer your prayers, if you pray to him 
from your heart. 



SECTION XIII. 

Caution against deception. 

You are still young, and inexperienced in the artifices 
and tricks of false men ; but this world, being full of sin, 
is also full of deceit, — full of men, who hesitate not, when 
their own interest seems to require it, to deceive their 
fellow creatures. 

Depend upon it, they may also, with the greatest ease, 
deceive you, and thereby lead you into sin. They may 
try to make you believe that it is not wicked to swear, 
or that it is lawful to disobey one's parents, or that the 
sabbath-day may be broken, or that the way to heaven 
is not so difficult as the Bible tells us it is, — that there is 
far less danger of going to hell than we have supposed ; 
and, in short, that there is not a word said about ever- 
lasting punishment in all the Bible ; and they may at the 
same time do this with such an appearance of piety, as to 



88 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS' DOCTRINES. 

induce you to believe what is not true, and to practise 
what God himself lias forbidden. 

Now it is necessary for you to be particularly upon 
your guard against all religious deceivers. You must fol- 
low the rule which Jesus has laid down to direct us in 
this respect. ' See to it that you do not suffer yourselves 
to be blinded by the appearance of piety.' There is 
many a person who pretends to be very good, but who has 
a heart full of wickedness. Externally, lie resembles a 
sheep, but internally, he is a wolf, — a ravenous beast of 
prey. 

If you have ever read the Pilgrim's Progress, you will 
probably remember what is said in it, about a man called 
Flatterer, who led Christian and Hopeful out of their 
way, and got them entangled in a net. He was just 
such a man. He seemed to be good and pious, but he 
spake flattering words, and his heart was full of wicked- 
ness and deceit. 

Now to guard against such deceptions, you must always 
look at a man's conversation and actions, and look at them 
until you really know his character. He may put on the 
appearance of a good man for a little while ; but his real 
nature will at last break out, and you will see clearly what 
he is. For can you not with certainty always tell a tree 
by its fruit? If the tree is good, is not its fruit good? 
If the tree is bad, is not its fruit bad ? Does not the ap- 
ple-tree always produce apples, and the fig-tree, figs ? 

Now it is just so with men. By making yourselves ac- 
quainted with a man's conversation and actions, you will 
in the end certainly ascertain what kind of disposition 
and feelings he has ; or in other words, what kind of a 
man he is. Are a man's works good, then he is a good 
man, however unwilling people may be to admit it. Are 



HEAVEN CONTAINS NO DECEIVERS. 89 

his works bad, then he himself is also bad, however pious 
he may pretend to be ; and you cannot rely upon what 
such a man tells you, respecting religion. You must be- 
ware of him as a false prophet. 

And here let me warn you also, to avoid all dissimula- 
tion. Never be guilty, as children and youth often are, 
of acting the hypocrite, before the eyes of your parents 
and teachers, and seeming to be very obedient ; while be- 
hind their backs you ridicule them, with all their good 
advice, and are guilty of a hundred mischievous and 
wicked tricks. 

Of what use would your hypocrisy be to you ? It 
would probably all be found out in this world ; and good 
people would treat you as a deceiver. But if it were 
not, God, who sees every thing, would see all your wick- 
ed actions. You would not be one of his beloved 
children ; and you would be punished for your dissimula- 
tion, if not in this world, at least in that which is to come. 
When, after death, you drew near, longing to be admitted 
into heaven, he would say to you, ' Depart from me, thou 
deceiver, thou hypocrite ; I have never recognized thee 
as my child.' 

There is no dissimulation in heaven. The saints and 
angels in that region, never try to deceive each other or 
God ; and this is one thing that makes heaven so happy 
a place. 

Be very careful, therefore, to form an acquaintance 
with your own heart ; to attend closely to all you feel, do, 
and say, and see whether you are perfectly honest in 
every thing, as you are required to be, by the word of 
God. If this is the case with you, as I hope, then you 
are in reality a pious child. Make the prayer of David 
yours, and use it often. " Search me, O God, and know 
8* 



90 REFLECTIONS ON JESUS' DOCTRINES. 

my heart ; try me and know my thoughts ; and see if 
there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way 
everlasting." 

Come, thou All-seeing, come and try this heart ; 

Unveil the sins that lurk in every part; 

Help me their darkest caverns to unseal, 

And, what I am before thee, know and feel. 

O leave me not to tread death's fearful way, 

But check my wandering feet, whene'er they stray, 

And kindly lead me to the realms of day. 



SECTION XIV. 

Of trusting in Providence. 

In youth, for the most part, we are free from anxieties 
and cares. We are then under the guardianship of pa- 
rents and friends, and receive food and clothing and 
every thing else we need, from their hands. 

Even in youth, however, there are some who ex- 
perience anxiety and care, and perhaps are left orphans, 
to buffet the world alone. If this be not the case with 
us in youth, it unquestionably will be, to a greater or less 
extent, in maturer age. We shall find ourselves, like 
others, full of troublesome thoughts respecting the pre- 
sent and future, when we have to provide for ourselves, 
and feel our perplexities increasing upon us, with our 
years. 

If, my young friend, you ever live to see this period, 
and feel a weight of anxieties and cares pressing upon 



A LESSON FROM THE BIRDS AND FI.OWEKS. i) 1 

you and filling you with sadness and gloom, go to the 
Bible, and you will find enough there to comfort and sup- 
port you. Think especially of what the Savior has told 
us ; ' To take no anxious thought about what we shall 
eat, drink, or wear.' Say to yourself : " God has given 
me life, and he will certainly also give me every thing 
that is necessary for its support. He has created my bo- 
dy, and he will not refuse to feed and clothe it." 

Come, take a walk with me out into the fields, on this 
beautiful morning. Do your hear the birds? How 
sweetly they sing ! That is a robin with his mournful 
strain ; and that is the little wren, whose body swells with 
every effort ; and hark ! from the distant wood, I hear 
the warbling of the thrush. Now think of all this. Look 
upon the fowls of the air, and consider them well. They 
neither sow nor reap, nor gather fruit and grain into 
barns, as men do; and yet they are all well provided for, 
and quite happy. Our heavenly Father feeds them. 

And then, these flowers, how beautiful they are ! This 
is the iris, and this the lily, and this the rose. Each has 
colors and charms of its own ; but all are most delicately 
tinged, most delightfully clothed. Solomon in his most 
costly robes was never arrayed like one of these flowers. 
And yet they toil not, neither do they spin. They grow 
up without labor, wild in the fields. God makes them 
grow, and clothes them in such beautiful colors. 

Such thoughts as these should certainly lessen your 
anxieties, and fill you with confidence in God. From 
them you cannot help perceiving that he is powerful, and 
kind, and attentive to every thing he has made ; that, as 
Christ tells us, ' Not a sparrow falls to the ground with- 
out his notice. ' Surely if God takes such care of the 



93 REFLECTIONS ON JB8U8 1 DOCTRIN 

fading flower and of the sparrow, he will take care of 
you, who are a far nobler work than a dower or a bird. 

I remember an account of a man's having been saved 
from death, by such thoughts as these. The person to 
whom I refer, was Mr. Park, the celebrated African tra- 
veller, lie was destitute and alone in a vast wilderness, 
live hundred miles from any settlement, surrounded by 
savage beasts, and men still more savage ; and saw no 
prospect before him but to lie down and perish. As he 
lay on the ground in this state of despondency, giving 
himself up to despair, his eye caught sight of a small 
moss in a state of bringing forth fruit, the delicate form 
of whose roots, leaves, and seed-vessel, could not but fill 
him with admiration. 

As he looked on it, he thought to himself: ' Can that 
being who planted, watered, and brought to perfection, 
in this obscure corner of the world, a thing which ap- 
pears of so small importance, look with unconcern upon 
the situation and sufferings of creatures formed after his 
own image V Aroused by these just and pious reflections, 
he started up and went on, in spite of his fatigue; and 
he soon found deliverance to be nearer, than he had any 
reason to anticipate. Mr. Park would probably have 
perished, hid he not been excited by such considerations 
as these. And will you not suffer such thoughts also to 
exert an influence upon you ? 

Admit that you are a poor orphan in the world. Still 
you have a Father in heaven, who has said a great deal 
about orphans, and often promised in the kindest man- 
ner, to be a father to the fatherless. You have only to 
rely upon his promises. If you do so, ho will certainly 
take care of you. Go to him with the most prayerful 
confidence; tell him every complaint; say to him : 



MR. PARK. v PRAYER, USELESS CARES. 



93 



I ) God. thou art the father of all. Thou takesl I'arc 
of the irrational brute ; thou thinkest of the grass and 
the flower, which flourish only for a little while, and then 
are cut down and thrown into the fire. Will thou then 
not think on me, who am a far nobler work, and destined 
to live forever, and feed and clothe me ? Surely I may 
rely upon thy providential care. Certainly I ought never 
to mistrust thy wonderful love, confirmed to me, as it has 
been, by the death of Jesus Christ. I come to thee as 
thy child, and rely upon thy goodness." 

And how comforting you will find it, to feel that God 
is your Father, always watching over you, and making 
every thing work for your good ! It will support you in 
the severest trials, and enable you to go through them 
with calmness and resignation. In particular, from how 
many ills it will deliver you ! 

The man who has no confidence in God as his father, 
is troubled with a thousand useless fears. He is daily 
concerned about what he cannot possibly help, no more 
than he can make a single hair white or black, or add one 
cubit to his stature. The poor man, perhaps feels afraid 
that he and his family will sometime or other be left to 
famish. He thinks about it a great deal. He is always 
weighed down with these gloomy anticipations. At 
length, his troublesome thoughts bring on a fever and de- 
prive him of reason. And now, how unhappy is his con- 
dition ! And yet he has brought himself into it, by think- 
ing about what he could not help. If he had had con- 
fidence in God, he would have escaped from all these 
sorrows. 

Here let me remind you, how necessary it is for you 
to practise virtue, and entreat you, as I have done be- 
fore, to seek first the kingdom of heaven, that eternal 



M REFLECTIONS ON JLSL's' DOCTRINES. 

happiness which comes from obeying God, if you would 
have confidence in him as your Father, and be happv 
even in this world. God may indeed treat you for a 
long time, in many respects as a child, even if you diso- 
bey him ; for he is kind to the unthankful and the evil, 
and sends his rain upon the just and the unjust ; but be 
assured that you can never have confidence in him, as 
long as you disobey him and Jesus Christ your Re- 
deemer. 

A little child that has one of the kindest of fathers, 
and has often run smiling to his arms, now turns away 
from him, hardly dares to look at him, and seems afraid 
to meet him. What has produced such a change ? 
This child has been disobedient. The father does not 
yet indeed know it, but the child is conscious of guilt, 
and by means of its disobedience it has lost all its confi- 
dence in the best of parents. 

And just so it is with regard to ourselves and God. If 
we would have confidence in him, we must obey him ; 
for consciousness of guilt will in this case as in the other, 
fill us with distrust. It is impossible in the very nature 
of the thing, that those who disobey God, should feel con- 
fidence in him. 

Make it then the object of your most zealous efforts, as 
long as you live, to obtain the grace of God, and please 
him in every thing. You will then be happy, not merely 
when you come to die, but you will have every thing 
you need in this world. In short, you will be left in 
want of no real good. 

Let me conclude what I have to say to you, in the 
words of one who was a friend to youth and to mankind. 

* We are indebted, my dear young friends, to Jesus 
Christ, for what we are able with certainty to know and 



OBEDIENCE NECESSARY TO CONFIDENT r. 0f 

believe, respecting the feelings of God. From what he 
has taught us, we learn, that while God is full of the 
highest wisdom, and possessed of almighty power, so that 
none of his purposes can fail, he is also full of benevo- 
lence to the human race ; that he regards them with all 
the love and affection of a father; that he has resolved, 
through his Son, to make them as happy, as, by obe- 
dience, they will consent to be made ; and that he has 
ever ordered and will continue to order all the affairs of 
his government, with special reference to the good of 
those who yield sincere obedience to his will. How 
cheering it is to know that God has such feelings towards 
mankind ! What an awful thing it would be to live in 
uncertainty of his benevolence and goodness! How much 
reason in particular, have those that love him, to rejoice 
in him as a father. They have nothing to fear. 

1 As God, then, aims at the happiness of mankind, 
you should do the same. Kindness, integrity, and uni- 
versal benevolence to your fellow creatures, should per- 
vade your very heart. You should contribute to the hap- 
piness of others, as much as you are able, whenever op- 
portunity presents, and by doing so, show that you live 
according to the doctrines of Jesus, and love and honor 
God. It is in this way only, that you can ever think of 
being able to die happy ; for none but those who have 
such feelings, and love what is good and honest, are pre- 
pared for happiness, that is, for entering into the com- 
munity of the righteous, into the joys of the kingdom of 
God. Indeed, none but such are in reality Christians. 

1 And, my dear youth, if we have worthy thoughts of 
God ; if we love and honor him, and consequently obey 
him, we may be assured, that every thing which hap- 
pens to us, will work for our good. In this case. 



( .X> REFLECTIONS OX JESls' DOCTRIlfEg. 

'God being full of paternal feelings towards us, in par- 
ticular, we may leave all our concerns with him. There 
LB no need of our troubling ourselves with anxious cares 
and despairing thoughts, as to how we shall be provided 
for. We have only to labor with faithfulness and diligence 
in our calling, or in the place which God has pointed out 
to us in this world, and looking to him in prayer, com- 
mit our future destiny altogether to his hands.' 

II V M X 

Will God, who clothes (he liljr, 

The little sparrow feeds, 
With glances cold and chilly. 
Regard his children's needs ; 

No, no ; the clouds may gather 

Around me, as I tread ; 
I have a heavenly Father, 

And shall be clothed and. fed. 

Tho* dnrk my way and narrow, 

On him who clothes the rose. 
And feeds the little sparrow, 

I surely may repose. 

With him I leave the morrow, 

And every passing day ; 
On him 1 lean in sorrow. 

And hasten on mv wav 



A BAV1NG KNOWLEDGE OF JESTO. 97 



SECTION XV. 
III. Reflections upon particular doctrines taught 

BY JESl IS. 

On a true knowledge of Jesus Christ, the object of his 
mission, and faith in him. 

Our kind and blessed Savior, my young friends, has 
also left us several other doctrines, in addition to those 
of which I have spoken in the foregoing pages. By 
means of these doctrines in particular, if we become 
rightly acquainted with them and truly practise them, 
we shall become good, and obtain peace and eternal 
happiness. Attend to me, and I will speak of them. 

T. You must know God and Jesus. 

If a man i? a stranger, and altogether unknown to you, 
you do not trouble yourself about him. Tf you know 
nothing good of a man, you neither love nor honor him. 
You are unable to put confidence in him, and you 
will have no wish to be beloved by him. And so 
also it is, with regard to your God and Savior. If you 
have no knowledge of him ; if you are unacquaint- 
ed with his kind and holy will ; you will feel no respect 
for him, you will not trouble yourself to obey him, you 
will not seek to please him. 

The first thing then you have to attend to, with the 
greatest diligence, in your youth, is, the acquisition of a 
true knowledge of your God and Savior. 

I have already said something to you upon this sub- 
ject; but let me now say it to you more particularly, 
and tell you, that you must have something more than a 
9 



( J^ ON PARTICULAR DOCTRINES. 

mere notion that such a person as Jesus once lived, and 
ability to describe his character ; that you must not only 
know who he is, but that you must know him from your 
very heart. 

Hear, my dear youth, how expressly Jesus has himself 
recommended this to us, as a duty. In the prayer he 
uttered at the close of his farewell address to his disci- 
ples, for instance, he says: " And this is eternal life, 
that they know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ 
whom thou hast sent." In what stronger terms could he 
exhort you to strive after a true knowledge of him and 
his Father ? He promises you all the joy and glory of 
heaven, as the reward of doing so; and who of you do 
not wish to obtain the joy and glory of heaven ! 

Attend, therefore, as you value your souls, to the ac- 
quisition of a true knowledge of God and Jesus. Eternal 
life depends upon it. If you do not, the consequence 
will be eternal death. Your souls will be dying forever, 
and yet never die. 

II. You must knoio that Jesus was sent of God and 
that he is the Son of God. 

Jesus loved mankind with unspeakable love, and in 
every thing that he spake and did, gave proof of the high- 
est wisdom. Acting under the influence of this love 
and wisdom, he was obliged, by means of his words and 
actions, to give mankind assurance that he was a teacher 
sent to them, from God, to save them and make them 
happy, and endowed with divine power. Had he not 
done so, he would never have been recognized by them, 
as the best of teachers, and as their guide to heaven. In 
the measures which he took, in this respect, he was cer- 
tainly governed by the greatest love for them ; and it was 
by means of the assurance which he so frequently gave 



JESUS THE SON AND MESSENGER OF GOD. 99 

ihem, to this effect, that he acquired favor and confidence 
among them. It was for this purpose, he publicly con- 
fessed, both before friends and foes, that he had been 
sent by the Father in heaven ; that he was sojourning on 
earth, to accomplish his will ; that he was Christ the Son 
of the living God ; that the man who believed in his 
name and served him, loving and honoring him, as his 
Lord and Savior, and following him in life and death, 
should receive the grace of God, and inherit eternal life. 

At the same time, he applied to his works as to proofs, 
that he was the messenger and the Son, of the living 
God. Indeed, it was by means of his works, he made it 
known in public, that the power, wisdom and goodness 
of God, dwelt in him and were appropriately his. For 
he knew the secret thoughts of man ; he changed water 
into wine ; he fed thousands with a few loaves of bread ; 
he cured the most dangerous diseases, by a mere word, 
and brought the dead to life ; the wind obeyed his com- 
mand, and the sea became still. Such works no one can 
do, if God be not with him, and operating through him. 

Jesus, then, having, not only in his wise, glorious, and 
happifying doctrines, but also in his works, given ample 
proof that he is truly a teacher sent of God, the Savior 
of mankind, the Son of God, — with good reason, most 
seriously requires them to receive and honor him as such. 
It is indeed true, that the prophets, by means of divine 
power, performed miracles, and said much that was true 
and good ; but they did not perform near as many, nor 
as great miracles as Jesus, — did not perform them at all 
times and on all occasions, as he did ; nor were their 
instructions as numerous, as universally applicable, or as 
full of consolation. 

When you become acquainted with all this and some 



100 o\ PABTICI LAR DOC J Rf.\ 

other things now loo bard for you to understand 

and with a maturer mind and in connection with other 
knowledge, can think them all over with corrects 
you will thence learn, what you are able now in some 
measure to perceive, that Jesus was not a mere man 
but that he was endowed by God his Father, with great 
powers, excellencies, and incomparable dignity : and 
that we of the human family, to whom he has shown 
such unspeakable good, should pray to him and Jove him 
even as we do his Father, and yield obedience to him as 
our Lord. 

III. You must believe in Jisiu<. 

The Savior speaks often of faith in him, and always 
maintains that it makes a man eternally happy. 1 will 
quote only one or two of his assertions upon this subject. 
He says that " God so loved the world, that he gave his 
only begotten Son, that whosoever belicveth in him, 
should not perish, but have eternal life. 5 ' And again : 
'•' He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life ; 
and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but 
the wrath of God abideth on him." 

Do you know, dear youth, what is here meant by faith? 
It is one of those things which are easier felt than ex- 
plained ; but I will illustrate it, by one or two examples. 

A little child is taken very sick, and its parents bring 
it some medicine which tastes very bad. The little child 
dislikes it very much, and would refuse to take it ; but 
his parents tell him he must, in order to get well ; and 
having always found that his parents knew best, what 
was good for him, and had his happiness in view, he puts 
confidence in them now, and without any hesitation takes 
the medicine. The child has what we might call faith 
m his parents. 



FAITH. THE SICK child. THE PERRY. 101 

III the course of my travels, I come to a river, over 
which I must cross in a boat. The river is very high 
and boisterous, and I feel afraid to venture. At length a 
ferry-man presents himself, who tells me that he is well 
acquainted with the stream, and has often crossed it 
when far higher and more boisterous, in perfect safety. 
At the same time, several of his neighbors come forward 
and testify to the truth of what he says, affirming that 
they have all frequently experienced his skill. I acquire 
confidence, until at length, being fully persuaded, I 
throw myself into his boat, and am ferried over. That 
is, I acquire faith in the man's skill, and upon the 
strength of this faith, trust my life in his hands. 

And in like manner with regard to Jesus. You find 
your are a sinner. You have broken the law of God, 
and feel that you must perish. While you are in this 
condition, a man comes along and tells you that he has 
heard of a remedy for the evil of past sins ; that a great 
and most wonderful being, the Son of God himself, has 
come down, given himself up to justice, and suffered and 
died for the sinner ; that though he has ascended to glo- 
ry, he has left instructions behind him, directing the sin- 
ner how to avail himself of this great grace. You listen. 
You feel confident that what he tells you is true. You 
believe in the virtue of the remedy. Without this belief, 
this faith, you would never try it, — you would neglect it 
altogether. Your faith therefore becomes the means of 
saving you. 

I remember once to have heard this believing in 
Christ, most beautifully illustrated in another way. Per- 
haps the illustration is to be found in some book, but I 
have not seen it in any. 

A man in the course of his travels, becomes benight- 
9* 



102 ON PAET1CULAS DOCTRINES. 

ed ; and at length, losing his way, falls asleep. Awak- 
ing just at the dawn of day, he finds himself on the very 
brink of a precipice. At the moment he is sliding down 
the last jutting rock, he grasps a bush and hangs by it 
over the brink. In this dreadful condition, it is evident 
lie cannot hang long. A stranger, passing by and espy- 
ing his danger, hastens to a part of the rock not far be- 
low him, spreads out his strong arms to receive him, 
and cries out to him : " You are now safe, if you only 
let go your bush ; for I shall then catch you as you fall." 
The man, however, cannot trust to the stranger. He 
holds on to his bush, which in the mean time, begins to 
give way, and in a few moments, will certainly leave him 
to be dashed in pieces upon the rocks below. The stranger 
pleads with him, intreats him to trust himself in his arms, 
and tells him that if he continues thus, his destruction is 
certain. If the unhappy man perseveres in his distrust, 
and hangs on to his bush, he perishes. But if he trusts 
to the words of the stranger, and letting go of it, falls into 
his arms, he is safe. 

So with the sinner, — with us all. Like the man of 
whom I have just spoken, we are, both by nature and 
practice, hanging by vain hopes and contrivances of our 
own, on the brink of a fearful precipice, over everlast- 
ing destruction, while Christ, espying our danger, has 
placed himself below, and is calling upon us to let go of 
them, and fall into his arms. If we continue to hold on 
to them, they will soon all give way and leave us miserably 
to perish ; but if we put confidence in what Christ tells 
us, and fall into his arms, we shall be saved. 

I hope you have understood these illustrations and ap- 
plied them as you ought. And now just think ; what 
greater favor could Christ show you than he has done, 



THE raBCIPICS, r.i I it PI Qf FAITH. 103 

in teaching you to believe in him ? For of what use 
would all your knowledge of him be to you, if you should 
consider nothing that you have learned and know about 
him, as true and good ? If you should remain in unbe- 
lief, you would neither esteem him, nor govern yourselves 
by his word ; and of course, you would not be reformed 
by him or any thing he has said, nor ever become the 
dear children of God. 

If, on the other hand, you believe in Jesus, you will 
feel sorry for all your past sins, sincerely repent of them, 
and, resolving to forsake them forever, fly to Jesus as 
your Savior, and just such a Savior as you need. God 
will then for his sake, forgive all your sins and fill your 
hearts with holy joy, or what the Bible calls, peace in be- 
lieving. You will then listen to all the doctrines which Jesus 
has taught, as good and true, and delight to follow them. 
You will then put confidence in him, that he will receive 
you to himself in heaven, if you continue to love and 
honor God even to death. 

And you will also be grateful. For should a man 
throw himself into a river, and, plunging to the bottom of 
the stream, bring you up and save you from drowning, 
would you ever cease to remember him with gratitude 
and love ? Much more, then, if you truly believe in Je- 
sus, will you also ever feel full of gratitude and love to- 
wards him, for having, by the most agonizing sufferings 
and death, saved you from such unspeakable sin and 
misery, and raised you to such wonderful happiness and 
glory. 

See you not, then, what a blessed thing it is to believe 
in Jesus? He who does so, enjoys all the benefits which 
Jesus came to procure for us, in this world. By means 



104 ON PART1CI I. ah DOCTRINB&. 

of the doctrines which the Savior taught, he will become 
wise and good. lie will by means of him, be render- 
ed lovely and pleasing in the si:_ r ht of God. lie will ob- 
tain a peaceful conscience, be delivered from all slavish 
fears of death, and be made eternally happy. 



PR: 



\ Y E R. 



Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, be pleased to listen to the 
confessions and vows of a weak child. I affirm, as thy 
disciple Peter did, that I believe and ackowledge thee 
to be Christ, the Son of the living God. Most joyfully 
will I honor and worship thee, from my youth upwards. 
With gratitude and confidence will I receive thee as the 
teacher and Savior of the human family, through whom 
we obtain grace and the forgiveness of our sins, from the 
Father of all in heaven, if we seriously hate our sins and 
love what is good, pray in thy name, ground all our hopes 
of a happy immortality upon thee, obey thy commands, 
follow the example which thou hast set us, and live and 
die to thee. Help me, my Lord and God, my Savior and 
friend, help me to live according to this confession, and 
to fulfil these vows, in which I surrender all up to thee 
forever. O, take the entire and undivided control of this 
heart, and lead me on to perfection until death, and then 
receive me to thyself, with the thousands of thy saints in 
glory. 



VH.W BR. i ES i u! FAITH. 10£ 



SECTION XVI. 

/ u feelings and conduct of a believer in Jesus. 

Jt is possible, my young friends, after all 1 have said, 
that you will make mistakes upon this subject, and think 
you are Christians when you are not. Many persons, as 
we learn from the Bible, have made such mistakes. 

You probably remember how there once came a rich 
young man to Jesus, and said to him : * Good Master, 
what good thing shall I do to become thy true disciple, 
and obtain eternal life V and that Jesus, unquestionably 
to bring the young man to see how miserable his condi- 
tion was, if he had nothing but his own goodness to de- 
pend upon, and to feel his need of a Savior, through 
whom to obtain grace and forgiveness from God, remind- 
ed him of the wickedness of all mankind, and told him, 
that in order to be saved, he must keep the command- 
ments, nor murder, nor commit adultery, nor steal, nor 
bear false witness ; but honor his father and mother, and 
love his neighbor as himself? 

This young man thought himself very good, and on 
hearing the reply of Jesus, felt himself in a fair way for 
heaven ; but as soon as the Savior applied the test of sin- 
cerity to his heart, it became evident at once that he was 
not a Christian. He had only called Christ good Master 
with his mouth, and did not in reality believe in him as 
the Savior. 

And you will also remember Jesus tells us, that at the 
last day, after the righteous have all set down with him 
in the kingdom of heaven, many will come to its gate, 









10G ON PARTICULAR DOCTRINES. 

knocking hard and pleading earnestly for admittance, alleg- 
ing that they ate and drank in his presence in the world, 
and did many wonderful works in his name ; but that he 
will tell them to depart from him, calling them workers 
of iniquity, and declaring that he never knew them. 

It will be very sad for you to find yourselves of this num- 
ber, and guilty of such a mistake. It will not be with 
you in the other world, as it is in this. Here you can re- 
pent of any fault of which you have been guilty, and re- 
form ; or you can counteract its evil effects, or at least you 
can obtain forgiveness for it; and besides, in the sorrow 
it may occasion, you have many sources of comfort. 

But there you can repent no more, no, not even if you 
weep for repentance in bitterness of soul ; nor will you 
there any more be able to prevent the evil effects of what 
you have done or left undone. You must, without one 
friend to comfort you, or one smile from your God and 
Savior, forever endure the consequences of all your sins. 
It is then, surely, of the utmost importance for you to be 
certain that you are Christians. 

Do remember, then, that it is not enough for a Chris- 
tian, that he calls Jesus, Lord and Savior. Hear from 
the mouth of Jesus himself, what is demanded of a true 
Christian. " Would you," said he to the young man, of 
whom we have just spoken, " would you be my true dis- 
ciple, you must part with all you have, giving it away to 
the poor, and come, follow me." 

In another place he has expressed himself in still 
plainer language. ' He who would be my disciple, must 
love me more than he loves father and mother, and the 
dearest friends, yea, than his own life, — must, for the 
sake of religion and piety, be ready at once to give up 
every thing he loves and deems of value in the world, 



A SAD MISTAKE. DISCIIM .r.SIIl V. LOVE. 107 

whenever circumstances demand such a sacrifice, — 
must, from obedience to God, suppress all the wishes and 
inclinations within him, which are opposed to the divine 
will, and, enduring with patience all the sufferings that 
God brings upon him f follow after vie. ,' | 

From this statement, you see, that you cannot truly 
say you believe in Jesus, and call yourselves Christians, if 
you do not love him supremely ; and that the only evi- 
dence you can give of your loving him supremely, is the 
obedience you yield to the will of God ; that it is perfect- 
ly evident you do not, if you are disobedient in this re- 
spect, it being impossible in the very nature of the case, 
for a man to have his heart full of supreme love to a be- 
ing, without acting under the influence of this love, and 
yielding obedience to the will of the being whom he thus 
loves. That on the supposition you do thus love Jesus, 
you will yield obedience to the will of God, or as an 
apostle has expressed it, that love is the fulfilling of the 
law, is farther evident from what Jesus has said respect- 
ing this subject, of which I shall speak in the next sec- 
tion. 



SECTION XVII. 

Love to God and one's neighbor. 

Our blessed Savior has recommended love to us, as the 
highest virtue. He has declared, that it is the source of 
all other good feelings and deeds, and, of course, in ef- 
fect, declared, that, if a man has bad feelings and is guilty 



108 OX PARTICULAR DO< TKIXES. 

of bad deeds, he has no love in his heart, and hence, that 
he is not a true Christian. 

To a Pharisee who came to him for information 
upon this subject, and asked him, Which is the great 
commandment in the law ? Jesus replied : "Thou shah 
love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all 
thv soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and 
great commandment/' As if Jesus had said : " You 
must love nothing so much as you do God ; you must 
love him supremely, and, in every thing you wish for, 
seek after, or do, make it your grand object to obtain 
his love a^ain in return. You are not to love him the 
best for a little while, and then to love something else far 
better. No, from your youth upwards, as long as you 
live, you must love him better than you love any thing 
else in the world, however agreeable it may otherwise be 
to vou : This," says the Savior, " is the first and the 
greatest commandment.'' 

With this commandment, however, there is most in- 
timately connected another, like it and next to it in im- 
portance. So says our Savior himself, and then repr 
it: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself;" also 
adding-. "On these two hang all the law and the 
prophets." That is ; ' More important commandments 
than these, are not to be found ; they surpass all the 
others; they contain the essence of the Sacred Scrip- 
tures.' 

And is it not easy to perceive the truth of what the Sa- 
vior here says? Is it not very plain that love is in all ca- 
ses the very spirit of obedience, and hatred, on the other 
hand, the very spirit of disobedience ? A lad, for instance, 
croes to school to a master whom he hates. Before his mas- 
ter, he may, indeed, study hard and really appear dutiful 



LOVE, THE ESSENCE OF OBEDIENCE. 109 

and kind. But then it is nothing but hypocrisy. He will 
all the time have hard feelings towards his master, be hat- 
ing him in his heart, and perhaps contriving how he may 
do him injury ; and as soon as he imagines himself out of 
his master's notice, he will give vent to his wicked feel- 
ings, openly disobey him, treat him with ridicule, and in- 
jure him all he can. 

The lad, on the other hand, who loves his master, will 
not only study and appear well, while in school, but he 
will really have kind feelings towards his master all the 
time, in his heart ; and as soon as he is out of his master's 
sight, he will let these kind feelings out, and, in every 
thing he says and does, will show, that he really loves his 
master. He will speak of him with kindness, defend his 
character, and do every thing in just such a way as he 
knows would please him, if he were really present. 

Just so it is with the man who hates God. He has 
the very spirit of disobedience to God in his heart. Ex- 
ternally he may appear tolerably well, but internally, all 
is hatred ; and, depend upon it, so far as he is left with- 
out any restraints, he will act out and give full vent to, 
the hatred which he feels. The man on the other hand, 
who loves God, has the very spirit of obedience in his 
heart. He will not only appear well, externally, but he 
will really feel well within ; and as far as he can, he will, 
on all occasions, act out or give full expression to, his kind 
and affectionate emotions. No one will have any room 
to call his character in question. 

In like manner with regard to one's neighbor. If we 

hate him, we may disguise it indeed, for a while ; but 

we shall all the time have hard feelings towards him ; 

and be contriving, perhaps, how we may injure him. At 

10 



110 ON PARTICULAR DOCTRINES. 

least we shall act towards him just as we feel, as soon as 
all restraints are removed. 

If, on the other hand, we love him, (and we shall cer- 
tainly do so if we love God, as he commands us to love 
our neighbor,) see you not how, under the influence of 
this love, we shall do every thing else we are required 
to do ? and how that one schoolmate which loves another, 
will always treat him in a kind and lovely and affection- 
ate manner, and assist him whenever he needs assistance ? 

This principle of love in the heart may not unaptly be 
compared to a fountain. It sends forth only a little purling 
rill ; but this, little as it is, rolls down the side of a moun- 
tain, and on through wide plains, receiving constant addi- 
tions as it flows. Every where in its course, it waters 
the fields all around. Flowers and shrubs, and orchards, 
spring up on its banks, and the extended landscape is 
clothed with verdure. Not the minutest blade of grass 
fails to feel its life-giving influence. And so it is with 
love in the heart. Though the fountain seems to send 
forth almost unnoticeable streams, yet these streams re- 
ceive constant accessions, diffuse their influence through 
all the man, modify every thought, feeling, and action, 
and extend themselves to all the relations which he is 
ever called to sustain. Not a human being with whom 
he comes in contact, will fail to experience their hallowed 
effects. 

See to it, then, that you always have these command- 
ments before your eyes, and in your hearts. From the 
manner in which you fulfil them you may know for cer- 
tainty, whether or not you believe in Jesus and are a 
true Christian, — whether you are a good and pious youth. 
Do not presume even to think you love God, so long as 
you do not obey him, and show yourself kind and affec- 



DO YOU LOVE THE SAVIOR? Ill 

tionate to your fellow men, and readily assist and serve 
them ; for Jesus says that your are his friends, if you do 
what he commands you ; and an apostle of Jesus ha* 
told us that if we hate our fellow men, we have not the 
love of God in our hearts. 

Tis vain to say tliat God we love, 

While hating one another ; 
For he who loves his God above, 

Will also love his brother. 

Our God is love, and he declares, 

That in the heart's affection, 
Our fellow shall have mutual shares, 

And ever find protection. 



SECTION XVIII. 
Do you love Jesus ? 



Before I close the subject of the two last sections, let 
me ask whether you could truly say as the young man 
who came to Christ said, in regard to the commandments 
of God. " All these have I kept from my youth up ? " 
And this is only asking you, in other words, what reason 
you have to think you love Jesus supremely. Should 
you now be called to die, and appear before your Savior, 
your God and Judge, and give him an account of your 
past lives, what would you say to him ? Should he put 
such a question to you as he once did to Peter, " Simon, 
.son of Jonas, lovest thou me ? " what reply could you 



112 ON PARTICULAR DOCTRINES. 

make I Could you say as Peter did : " Lord, thou know- 
est that I love thee." And would your past lives bear 
testimony to the truth of this answer ? 

I have seen a great many of all a^es, who, I felt quite 
certain, did not love Christ supremely, or better than they 
loved every thing else ; but I have seen only a few who 
gave unquestionable evidence that they did. I remem- 
ber my mother used to tell me about a little child, who 
was always afraid of disobeying God, and seemed to love 
her little playmates as well as she did herself; and I have 
since heard and read of several such children. I have 
known men too who seemed to love God supremely, and 
their neighbors as themselves. I remember one in par- 
ticular who used to visit his destitute neighbors whenev- 
er they were sick, or there was a storm, or he thought 
they had any need of assistance, and never suffered the 
stranger to go away hungry from his door ; and I know 
there have been a great many such. An interesting 
story which I have read in a book of a man who showed 
great love for his neighbor now occurs to me. The af- 
fair happened in Denmark. 

A fire had broken out in a certain village. A poor 
man, one of the inhabitants, labored hard, among others, 
to extinguish the flames. Every effort, however, was in 
vain. The flames continued to increase. " At length 
the poor man was told that his own house was in great 
danger ; and that he had not a moment to lose, if he 
wished to save his furniture." 'There is something more 
precious,' said he immediately, ' that 1 must first move. 
My poor sick neighbor is not able to help himself. He 
will be lost, if I do not assist him. I am sure he relies 
on me.' Thus saying, he flew to his neighbor's house ; 
and before he paid any attention to his own house, or to his 



,^.^ 



THE POOR MAN AND HIS NEIGHBOR. l\\ 

furniture, which was all the wealth he had, he rushed 
at the hazard of his life, through the flames, that were 
already coming very near the sick man's bed, took him in 
his arms, and carried him to a place of safety. 

I could also tell you of men who loved God so much, that 
they submitted to be burned rather than deny him. But 
alas ! those who do evidently love God supremely and 
their neighbors as themselves, are very few, compared 
with those who do not. I hope you will see to it that 
you do not belong to this latter class ; that you keep 
these two great commandments before your eyes and in 
your hearts. If you do so, when you come to die, you 
will most probably have no fears of death. You will feel 
that you are going to live with God your Savior, whom 
you love so much ; and you know that nothing is so plea- 
sant, when we are away from home, as the idea of meeting 
with our friends again ; and that we are never so happy 
as when we are in company with those whom we re- 
ally love. 



SECTION XIX. 



What Jesus has farther taught, respecting love to 
one's neighbor. 



Though all the duties we owe to our fellow creatures 
spring directly from the second great commandment, 
just as the stream and its branches flow from one foun- 
tain ; yet our Savior has not stopped here, and altogeth- 
10* 



114 ON PARTICULAR DOCTR1M 

er left it for us to deduce our various social duties from 
this commandment. With the feeling of love strongly 
glowing in our hearts, it would he indeed easy for us to do 
so; hut how weak is our love at the hest ; how many are 
the prejudices under which we often labor with regard 
to our duties! Our Savior, therefore, has kindly given 
us some specific directions to follow in our intercourse 
with one another. The most of them have already been 
alluded to. Let me, however, enlarge upon them, in this 
place, and exhort you to obey them. 

I. You are to honor, love, and obey those teachers, guar- 
dians, and magistrates, who have the charge over you. 

In particular, you are to honor you father and mother. 
Treat them at all times with respect, never contradict 
them, much less ever presume to laugh at them or treat 
them with ridicule. Thank them for the kindness they 
show you, and love them as long as they live, in return 
for their great love to you. 

In order to draw pleasure from fulfilling this command- 
ment, reflect and discourse often with one another re- 
specting the fact, that your parents, next to God, are your 
greatest benefactors. Call to mind and tell each other 
of the unspeakable favors you received from them, in the 
first period of your life, the many cares they felt on your 
account, and the meat and drink and clothes and lodg- 
ing, with which they have furnished you. They have 
watched over you in sickness, and done every thing in 
their power, that you might be restored to health. They 
have caused you much joy, and enabled you to learn ma- 
ny useful things, by means of which when you become 
older, you can obtain your living, as well as happiness 
and honor in the world. They have given you much 



HONOR THY FATllllU AM) MOTHER. I 1 I 5 

useful instruction, they have home with your faults, par- 
doned them, and ever remained your kind and faithful 
parents, notwithstanding your many offences against 
them. Their care for you still continues. They pray 
for you, and their greatest anxiety for you is, that you 
may obtain the grace of God, and be forever happy be- 
yond the grave. And how many parents there are, who 
deny themselves the conveniences and even the neces- 
saries of life, in order to give their children good edu- 
cations, and prepare them for the world before them ! 

Now is it not highly proper, — is it not right, that you 
should honor, and love these, your greatest benefactors, 
by yielding them full obedience ? Are not those, on the 
other hand, very ungrateful and wicked children, who 
grieve their parents by disobedience, make them angry 
by impudence, and fill them with deep anxiety and 
trouble by impiety ? God has threatened grievous pun- 
ishments against such children. They usually suffer for 
their disobedience even in this world ; and often they 
come to dreadful ends. Those pirates or sea-robbers, 
and others of their character, who commit such shocking 
crimes, and end their days on the gallows, almost univer- 
sally date the commencement of their ruin back to their 
disobedience of their parents. 

To those good children, on the other hand, who honor 
their parents, God has promised peace and prosperity. 
They will be likely to grow up in the love of all who 
know them, to enjoy themselves, and to live long. Seek, 
my dear sons and daughters, to become heirs to this pro- 
mise. 

Jesus, from his throne exiled, 
Man to reconcile to heaven, 
Has to every pious child. 



116 ON PARTICULAR DO( "TRINES. 

Here a bright example given, 
from his youth, ofsin afraid, 
His dear parents lie obeyed. 

Like him, both in heart and mind, 

Ever thine obey and cherish, 
Grateful for their love, and kind, 

Till their bodies droop and perish. 
You shall see them smile in pain, 
And His blessing too obtain. 

II. You Tnust always be kind and obliging to others. 

In your intercourse with your brothers and sisters, with 
the servants and others of your father's house, with your 
school-mates, and with all mankind, you must ever 
remember the words of Jesus : " Whatsoever you would 
that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." 

This is a rule which you can always have in your minds 
and easily apply, whatever be the circumstances in which 
you are placed. Nay, it is a rule which the very heathen 
see to be just, and sometimes almost involuntarily practise. 
The case of an Indian now occurs to me. 

He was a chief, and had lost two little children whom 
he loved exceedingly, and mourned for them two years. 
One day after this, while returning from pursuing two 
white men out of revenge, one of whom he most cruelly 
killed, he heard a rustling in the bushes, and distinctly 
saw two little white boys concealing themselves. " But 
I thought," says the Indian, " of my own little children, 
and passed on without noticing them." Happy had it 
been for this savage, had he always done to others, as lie 
would wish to be done by. 

This is, however, not only an easy rule to apply, but it is 
a safe rule, and will always bring us out of all difficulties 
at last ; whereas the breaking of it, is constantly getting" 



L 



(iOLDEN RULE. THE INDIAN. THE HOYS. 117 

us into trouble, and often leads to the most mortifying re- 
sults, even in common life. Let me relate to you an in- 
stance, not perhaps exactly, but yet nearly, as it happen- 
ed, in a town in New England, not long since. 

On a cold winter's day, a number of boys, who had a 
schoolmaster whom they greatly loved, met, during the 
sports of their recess, a stranger, a poor old man, driving 
slowly and feebly along through the snow in his carriage. 
His age, his dress, his whole appearance, united with the 
effects of the cold upon him, made him look very singular, 
and excited their merriment. They immediately came 
around him, began to call him names, threw snow-balls 
at him, whipped his horse, and in several respects greatly 
abused him. This was, as they thought, fine sport, and 
caused them many hearty laughs. Not so the poor man. 
He felt it deeply, but what could he do ! He was aged 
and feeble and cold. He cast upon them a reproving look 
or two, and kept driving on. Soon after, these boys were 
called up before the teacher whom they loved, to an- 
swer for their conduct. This was very trying. He had 
not indeed told them not to treat aged people or any bo- 
dy else in this way, but he had felt that they of them- 
selves ought to know better. They had not, however, 
reflected. The master drew a moving picture of the 
case of the old man, feeble from age, chilly with cold 
and also fatigued, and asked them how they should have 
liked under such circumstances to be thus abused. They 
saw at once that they had done wrong. But addressing 
himself to one of them, he continued : " You have a fa- 
ther?" " Yes," was the reply. " And where does he 
live ?" He was told. " Can you describe your father ?" 
" And suppose," said he, " that this old man had been 
your father V 1 All were silent, but evidently thoughtful, 



1 18 ON PARI rCULAB I)(m iki \ i 

But how were they covered with shame, when he added : 
11 This old man, whom you have so much abused, was my 
father.' ' Now if these boys had only applied the rule 
of the Savior before us, they would have not only done 
right, but have avoided all the disagreeable feelings which, 
by neglecting it, they were obliged to experience. 

And then, as to the other world ! — The rich man who 
lifted up his eyes, being in torments, had not, while in 
life, done to Lazarus, as he would like to be done by ! 

Treasure up, then, this rule of the Savior, and show 
yourselves at all times kind and obliging to others ; re- 
membering that you love to have others kind and obliging 
to you. If it is in your power to warn any one of injury 
he is about to receive, or to give him good counsel, do it 
with the utmost willingness and pleasure. You will de- 
rive the greatest benefit from doing so ; for every body 
will love to assist and serve you in like manner in return. 
All will highly esteem you for it, and delight to associate 
with you ; and besides, to assist and serve others will fill 
your hearts with real joy, — that joy, which springs from 
the consciousness that you have done good and been of 
use to others ; and above all things you will find yourself 
in a way through Jesus Christ, to obtain the blessings of 
eternal life, to enjoy the favor of God forever. 

IH. You must show meekness and love to your enemies. 

Let me remind you also, of the exhortation of Jesus, 
to our practising these virtues. They must in his view 
have been deemed of great importance and deserving of 
the utmost attention. For he has often taught them and 
mi the most express manner recommended them to our 
observance. The following words of his are remarkable : 
" For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly 
Father will also forgjve you ; but if ye forgive not men 



LOVE TO EMM U.S. A IOIUiiVINO MI HIT. 119 

their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your 
trespasses." 

If then you would have God forgive the many sins 
of your youth, and remain your gracious Father, (and 
this should be the object of your daily prayers,) you must 
never avenge yourselves upon those who injure you. 
You must not seek or even think, to do any thing to 
them either at present or in time to come, that may be 
painful to them, or cause them any injury, out of a spirit 
of revenge. 

Would you have God hear you when you pray, " For- 
give us our debts as we forgive our debtors," you must 
as I have already told you, from your heart forgive all 
the evil that has been done to you ; you must help 
your enemies and serve them whenever it is in your 
power. For instance, if your brothers, sisters, school- 
mates, or playmates, should strike and insult you, or 
speak evil of you behind your back, of which you have 
not been guilty, you must not strike and insult them, or 
speak false and wicked things against them in return ; 
but you must pray for them that they may not be punish- 
ed for their improper conduct, and S2ek to do them all 
the good in your power. If you do so, you will fulfil the 
command of Jesus Christ, and enjoy the grace of God. 

IV. You must never show yourselves implacable. 

What I here mean is, that you must never show your- 
selves destitute of a forgiving spirit towards those, who, 
after having done evil to you, come and ask your for- 
giveness. It is quite possible that such a person might 
die, when you would be unable any longer to draw 
pleasure from doing him good ; and then, in the other 
world he would complain of you as a hard and unmerci- 



120 ON PARTICULAR DOCTRINES. 

ful man, who would not forgive him, and be reconciled to 
him ; and such a complaint would draw down upon you 
severe punishment from the just and holy God, by whom 
you know, as I have already told you, that we are to be 
treated, as we have treated our fellow men. To those 
who are merciful, he is merciful ; and to those who are 
unmerciful, he too, is unmerciful. 

Prayer and Resolve. 

Blessed Father in heaven, I desire nothing so much 
as to be thy good and well-pleasing child, here and here- 
after. My soul thirsts for thee ; my flesh longs for thee. 
Thy grace and spirit assisting me, therefore, I resolve, 
according to the teachings of my Savior, to love my ene- 
mies, to bless those that curse me, to do good to those 
that hate me, and to pray for those, who offend and per- 
secute me. Thus towards me thou hast ever conducted. 
In the ignorance and folly of youth, I have often done 
thee great injustice, and broken thy commands ; but thou 
still remajnest my kind and benevolent Father. This 
too, is thy mode of dealing with mankind in general. 
Thou causest thy sun to rise upon the evil and the good, 
and sendest thy fertilizing rain upon the just and the un- 
just. I resolve, therefore, relying on thy aid, to become 
a child agreeable to thy feelings and example, — to de- 
light in doing good, even to those who do not do good to 
me. 

II Y M N. 

The mighty God who rules on high, 
And rolls the thunder thro' the sky, 
Declares, and will maintain his sway; 
li Vengeance is mine, I will repay." 



WATCHFULNESS AND PRAYER. 

This would I ever bear in mind, 
When others show themselves unkind, 
And, 'mid reproaches, calm and still, 
Await my Father's sovereign will. 

O teach me, Lord, enthroned above, 
Like thee, my enemy to love ; 
To aid him, plunged in deep distress, 
And, when he curses, meekly bless. 

Within my heart I fain would bear 
Thine image ; kindly paint it there. 
Help me to show the love of heaven, 
Who have so much to be forgiven. 



121 



SECTION XX. 

Watchfulness, temperance, and sinful man-pleasing. 

There is perhaps no one duty in which young people 
are so apt to fail, as in watchfulness and prayer, or what 
may be called a prayerful watchfulness, — a serious guard- 
ing of one's thoughts and actions, against every thing 
that is sinful. They uniformly give themselves up far 
too much, to their passions and wishes for pleasure. 
Reason and religious truth have little or no influence 
over them ; and if they had not parents to govern them, 
and a great many laws and restraints to bind them down 
to duty, I fear they would in most cases give themselves 
up to the current of their own feelings, and go on in the 
pursuit of pleasure until their way ended in everlasting 
11 



132 <>N PARTICULAR DOCTRINES. 

pain. At least it is certain, that all children give them- 
selves up, without any consideration, to their own feel- 
ings, as far as they can ; and that those who arc left with- 
out any or much restraint to their own passions and in- 
clinations, almost always lead miserable lives, and bring 
themselves to untimely and awful deaths ; or, in the lan- 
guage of the Bible, they do not live out half their days. 
1 could give you a great many instances of this, if it were 
necessary ; and I should immediately point you to Byron, 
of whom you will learn more when you get older, as one. 
Now, my young friends, I want you should remember 
that if you would be happy, you must subject all your 
passions and inclinations, to the control of reason and the 
word of God ; and to get such a control over yourselves, 
you must watch your own hearts continually, guarding 
yourselves against every thing sinful, and pray God, 
to enable you to do what is good. 

And this is just what Jesus and also his apostles have 
often told us to do, — to watch and pray that we enter not 
into temptation, and, when we are tempted, to watch and 
pray that we do not sin against God, by yielding to it. 

I. Temperance. 

You must guard yourselves against eating and drink- 
ing too much, and above all things to such a degree, 
as to deprive yourselves of reason and feeling. There are 
a great many things which have often been drunk in 
times past, and which some, who ought to know better, 
drink now, of which, however, you should never taste ; 
as they will almost certainly injure you, if you do. What 
these things are, your sabbath-school teachers will be 
able to tell you. It is of eating too much, however, that 
children and youth are the most liable to be guilty. Be- 



TEMI TRANCE IN I ATl.Mi AND DRINKING. 123 

cause any thing tastes good they are apt to go on eating 
of it, without observing any proper limits. 

Guard yourselves against this crime. Accustom your- 
selves to think, whenever you go to the table, how that 
eating and drinking too much will injure your health and 
unfit you both for study and work ; and that he, who in 
his youth gives himself up to the pleasures of eating and 
drinking more than is proper, that is, more than is ne- 
cessary to satisfy his hunger and thirst, will become a 
glutton and a drunkard, when he is older; and gluttony 
and drunkenness are frightful crimes. He who gives him- 
self up to them, is unfit for the happiness of the righteous, 
and cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. So the 
New Testament often tells us. They are shut out and 
placed among dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers, and 
murderers and idolaters, and liars. They would not be 
happy in heaven, if they should go there. They would 
be drunkards and gluttons still, and feel very miserable. 

No Christian, for the sake of pleasure, 

Who thinks as Christ would have him think, — 

Will go beyond a temperate measure, 
When he sits down to eat and drink. 

The Lord, this mind and heart to cherish, 
Hath food in store, as well as breath ; 

Abused, it causes both to perish, 
In temporal and eternal death, 

II. Our conduct in general. 

You must, if you would be Christians, and acquire all 
the feelings and dispositions of true Christians, — you must 
attend carefully to your thoughts and words, and your 
entire conduct, whether at home or at school, and wheth- 



124 ON PARTICULAR DOCTRINES. 

er your parents see you or not. You must see to it, that 
you neither think, speak, nor do, any thing which is un- 
just. If you neglect to do so, you will be in great dan- 
ger of thinking many things that are wicked, and from 
thinking, come to do them. And so also if you would 
do your duty in praying to God every day, attending 
faithfully the exercises of the house of God, assisting 
those who need your assistance, and ever showing your- 
selves kind, — you must watch over yourselves all the 
time ; for the heart of man left to itself is like an un- 
cultivated garden. It may possibly produce here and 
there a flower, but it will be a wild one ; and, besides, 
the garden will every where be full of weeds. 

To purity and holiness of heart, you never can attain 
without watchfulness and prayer. Think of this and 
often sigh forth in prayer to God for help, saying : 
M Guard me, O God, from sin, and guide me at all times, 
so that I may ever do what is pleasing in thy sight, and 
keep myself holy. " 

III. Man -pleasing. 

You must guard yourselves against man-pleasing and 
the effects of a present prospect of gain, to draw you into 
sin. You will not live long before you will find your- 
selves in circumstances in which you are strongly tempt- 
ed to break this or that commandment of God, for the 
sake of gaining some present advantage, or of obtaining 
the favor of wicked men. Perhaps you will think that 
by telling a lie you can hide a crime ; or that by asking 
an extravagant price for something you have to sell, or by 
concealing some of its defects, you can get more for it 
than you otherwise would, or that by uttering an oath, 
you can gain the applause of some wicked companion. 



Tin: in: ART UNGUARDED. NAN-PLKA8ING. 1 \)-~> 

Vou may depend upon it, however, that, in the end, 
) on would find yourselves greatly deceived. But do not 
stop to think of this. Give up all gain forever, and cut 
yourselves off from all hope of ever enjoying the favor of 
man, rather than allow yourselves so much as to think of 
Binning against God, for a single moment. Ask your- 
selves in the words of Jesus, what it would profit you, 
if you should gain the whole world, and lose your own 
soul ; and think how he has declared that he who loves 
father or mother, or any human being or earthly thing 
more than he does himself, the Savior, can have no part 
in him as the Savior. And never forget that those who 
obey God, will always have a powerful, unchangeable, 
»ver present friend, — a friend in this life, and when he 
dies, and forever. Say to yourselves in prayer : " O 
blessed God, let the words of thy Son, be a holy pre- 
cept ever before me. Help me duly to prize thy grace, 
and all the favors thou grantest to me in this world ; and 
to obey thee, rather than man. Help me ever to show 
myself grateful and pleasing, in the way thou hast recom- 
mended, to all my benefactors ; for if even wicked men 
practise this virtue, what right have I to dispense with 
practising it, who wish to become a truly virtuous and 
christian child? 

" Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it — 

Prone to leave the God I love — 
Here's my heart, — O take and seal it ; 

Seal it from thy courts above." 



11 



196 ON PARTICULAR DOCTRINES, 

SECTION XXI. 

The word of God. 

From the various hints that have from time to time 
been suggested respecting the Bible, you have, I hope, 
already come to see and feel, that true wisdom re- 
quires you to study it continually, and to hold fast to 
whatever it teaches. The Savior, however, has not left 
you without directions in this respect. He has express- 
ly exhorted us to read the Bible with thoughtfulness and 
reflection ; and to encourage us to do so, he has pro- 
nounced those people blessed, who hear the word of God 
and put it in practise. What he has done for us also in 
this respect, shows the kindness of his thoughts and feel- 
ings towards the human family. Can there be any need 
that I should exhort you, from your very childhood, to 
obey the direction of the Savior in this respect, — to study 
the Bible most carefully, and ever hold it in the highest 
esteem? 

The Bible, as you know, makes us acquainted with 
the will of God. It teaches us what is wicked and what 
is good. It tells us what is dangerous and what is safe. 
It is the only guide-book we have of our journey through 
this world. It gives us the best possible directions for 
obtaining happiness, both here and hereafter. It calls 
upon us to be perfect in all things. It enjoins it upon us 
to abstain not merely from gross vices, that is, from such 
as are punished by the civil authority, but also from all 
secret sins; to show ourselves at all times moral and 
well behaved ; and to conduct as those who know and 



THE BIRLK. WHAT IT TEACHES. OUR SUN. 127 

believe, that God sees and knows all things, and that 
he rewards the good, and punishes the wicked. 

O what a lovely, precious book this Bible is ! What 
should we know of heaven and hell, and the life beyond 
the grave, without it ! If we had no Bible, we should 
be indeed full of darkness, as the heathen now are. We 
should know nothing of Jesus. We should have no book 
upon which we could certainly depend, to direct us. 
Now, even if you have no parents and friends to teach 
you what to do, you have only to study the Bible and 
obey it, and you will do right, and every thing will go 
well with you. And suppose the Creator should, in anger 
for our abuse of the Bible, take it from us ! It would be 
as if yonder sun should forget to rise ; or as if, at mid-day ; 
we should suddenly see him darken and blacken and 
disappear. The earth would hang lifeless and darkling and 
frozen in the heavens. How kind then, does our Savior 
show himself, in exhorting us to read with attention and 
to practise with all our heart, what there is contained in 
this book ! 

Study it then, my child, every day. Try to fully un- 
derstand its meaning. Endeavor from it, to become per- 
fectly acquainted with what God has commanded and 
prohibited, and learn how you must always live, from 
your youth up, in order to please God, and be forever 
happy. Read it with the utmost diligence. Preserve it 
in your hearts. Yield it full obedience, and let the excel- 
lent doctrines and exhortations it contains, render you 
wise, and fill you with fear and reverence to God. You 
will find some places in it hard to understand, but ask 
your parents, teachers in the sabbath-school, and other 
friends, to explain them to you ; and at the same time 



128 ON PARTICULAR DOCTRINES. 

ask them to point out to you those passages which are the 
most important to be read. 

You, my child, as well as all others who enter thifl 
world, will doubtless meet with a great many different 
trials, and sometimes feel as if you should sink down in 
despair ; nor will those who bind the Bible to their hearts, 
be delivered from them all. But then, I can assure you, 
that if you study the word of God, find out what it means, 
and obey it, in all things, you will come out well at last. 
You may have to travel through a long, dark, dreary wil- 
derness, full of hills and valleys, and entangling bushes, 
and wild beasts and poisonous serpents ; but then you 
shall not perish in the wilderness. You shall get through 
it in safety. You shall at last emerge from the thick 
wood into the broad and brilliant regions of happiness 
and peace, where God is and all his saints, and there sing 
his praise forever. 

Hold fast the word of God, 

Where'er its precepts lead ; 
Tho' storms and seas of blood, 

Thy onward course impede. 

The multitude may sneer, 

And all its truths deride ; 
But plant thy footsteps here, 

And they shall never slide. 

Below, this book is yours, 

The treasure of your lov° . 
And, long as God endures, 

Shall be in heaven above. 



SOLILOQUY. I AM GUARDED BY ANGELS. 120 



SECTION XXII. 

IV. Reflections upon a few other doctrines taught 

by Jesus. 

The Angels. 

I read, blessed Savior, in the Bible, that angels are 
the friends and protectors of little children. Thou hast 
said, that in heaven, their angels are always admitted 
into the presence of thy Father, and thus not only indulg- 
ed with nearness of access to him, but treated with great 
honor. Often, unquestionably, have I experienced thy 
fidelity and love, in the watchful care of angels" over me. 
I have again and again been in very great danger. I 
can even now call to mind times in which I was exposed 
to death, and might have come to a most miserable end, — 
at least might have been made a permanent invalid or 
cripple, if God, through his holy angels, had not preserv- 
ed my life and guarded me from all harm. 

Thanks, blessed Father, to thee, for the kind and 
faithful provision thou hast made for the defence of the 
helpless, and the gracious providence thou hast ever ex- 
ercised over me. Suffer me not by my sins, to forfeit 
thy guardian care. In the name of Jesus, I pray thee 
to grant me the presence of thy Holy Spirit. Help me 
to keep my heart clean and cherish him in my bosom, 
in order that, under his direction, thy angels may con- 
tinue to be with me, and guard me from all harm, and 
especially from sin. And then, I will endeavor to re* 









130 A FEW OTHER DOCTRINES. 

member how I am in the invisible company of thy an- 
gels. This thought shall be ever in my mind, and keep 
me from all wickedness. It shall encourage me to strive 
after their innocence and piety, in order that when I die. 
[ may live with them in eternal joy. 

Nor, while I rejoice in the protection I receive from 
God, through his angels, will I forget how different my 
situation is in this respect, from that of the poor heathen, 
and thousands of superstitious people. They are con- 
tinually afraid of ghosts or evil spirits, or something 
dreadful, they know not what. The rustling of a leaf 
makes them tremble. They live in slavish fear all their 
days, and know not where to go for security. T have 
nothing of this kind to alarm me. God is my protector 
and friend. I am every where surrounded by his pre- 
sence. I cannot wander from him and his guardian love. 
I shall find him with me, in the darkest nights and in 
the most distant climes. And then, he has placed his 
angels over me, for my immediate protection. To be 
afraid of ghosts and evil spirits, would be to distrust my 
God. It would be very wicked for me to have such su- 
perstitious fears. Especially am I guarded on every side, 
if I am a child of God, whether older or younger. God 
has repeatedly declared that he is on the right hand of 
those who love him ; that he has graven them on the 
palms of his hands, and that he can never forget, or cease 
to defend them. Thus the Lord, in a dream, showed 
himself to Jacob, when alone, and far away from his fa- 
ther's house, he slept, and saw a ladder reaching from 
heaven to earth, and the angels of God, ascending and 
descending upon it. The servant of Elisha, too, the 
prophet, on having his eyes opened, found his master sur* 






SUPERSTITIOUS FF.ARS. THE RF.su RRU.UTION. 131 

rounded with a multitude of chariots and horses of fire, 
sent by God, to protect him from all harm. 

With such a guardian, I will press on boldly through 
the wilderness before me. I will both lay me down in 
peace, and sleep, for the Lord will make me dwell in 
safety. I will even walk through the valley of the shad- 
ow of death, feeling secure in knowing, that " The angel 
of the Lord encampeth around those that fear him, and 
delivered) them." 



SECTION XXIII. 



The resurrection, and the last Judgment. 

It would be a great calamity, my young friends, for us 
to be ignorant of what awaits our souls, as well as our bo- 
dies, after death. In this respect, also, Jesus Christ has 
provided for our tranquillity, — and thanks to him for it. 
He has told us with perfect clearness, that the dead are 
to rise and live again ; and that those who have been pi- 
ous here, are to enter into happiness ; but that those who 
have been wicked here, are to find themselves unhappy. 
When this will take place, he has not told us, only that 
it will certainly take place, sometime or other. 

Immediately after the resurrection of the dead, our 
Lord and Savior will hold his last judgment ; and when 
he comes to judgment, in all his dignity and splendor, 
accompanied with his holy angels, that is the end of the 









132 A FEW OTHER DOCTRINES. 

world. The sun, moon and planets will then cease to 
shine, the heavens will pass away with a great noise, the 
earth will tremble, its mountains and cities will be over- 
turned, the sea will roar, and the earth and every thing 
in it, will be burnt up. 

Jesus Christ, will then sit down upon the judgment- 
seat, and all nations, — all those who have been raised 
from the dead, and all those who were living at the re- 
surrection, — will be assembled together before Him, their 
Lord and Judge. It will then be made publicly known, 
what a difference there is between the good and the 
wicked. 

The good, will Jesus place at his right hand, and con- 
fer public honor upon them for having shown themselves 
so benevolent and full of good feeling towards their fellow 
creatures. All the acts of kindness they have done for 
others in giving them food, supplying them with drink, and 
clothing them, as well as in any other services of love, in 
providing for their necessities, he will consider as done 
for himself ; and he will say to them : " Come, ye blessed 
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from 
the foundation of the world." 

The wicked will Jesus place on his left hand, while he 
holds up clearly before them, how wicked and unmerciful 
they have been. He will tell them, that all the acts of un- 
kindness and the want of compassion they have shown to 
others, particularly in designedly neglecting to feed the 
hungry, give the thirsty drink, take care of the sick, and 
receive the forsaken, he considers in the same light, as if 
they had been shown to himself. He will in threatening 
language order them away from him, saying : " Depart 
from me, ye cursed, into hell-fire, which has been prepared 
for the devil and his angels." (i These shall now go 



THE JUDGMENT. ITS CERTAINTY. 331 

away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into 
life eternal." 

Such, my young readers, are the declarations of Jesus 
Christ, respecting the resurrection of the dead and a 
great day of Judgment. Many wickedly disbelieve them, 
but we shall all soon by experience find them true. Within 
a hundred years, at farthest, we shall have done with every 
thing below, and entered upon eternity. The resurrec- 
tion too, will at length arrive, and then we shall be call- 
ed in solemn and awful assembly, to stand before God, 
and give up our final account. 

It will be a fearful day to the wicked. There they 
shall see all the secret thoughts and purposes as well 
as public acts, of their vile hearts, recorded and drawn 
out in the most faithful and vivid colors, and fully expo- 
sed. There they shall be made to feel how often, in the 
persons of the widow and the fatherless, the stranger, the 
naked, the sick, the hungry, and other sufferers, they have 
treated Jesus Christ himself with contempt; and O how 
surprised they will be to find in him the powerful advocate of 
those whom they have abused ; and to behold him as their 
enemy, seated upon the throne, clothed with almighty 
power ! 

But it will be a happy day to the good. There they 
will hear their unworthy, and, in many cases, forgotten 
acts of kindness, recounted over by the Savior and Judge 
himself while he declares he considers the least service 
they have done in his name, to the very meanest of the 
human family, as done to himself. And what a thrill of 
joy will run through their hearts, when they perceive 
that he who sits upon the throne, is their Redeemer anc^ 
friend, the very person whom they thought of and loved 
so much below ! 

12 



134 



A FEW OTHER DOCTRINES. 



And think, dear youth, of the honor or dishonor, you 
will then incur, according as you are good or bad, and 
are welcomed to heavenly joys, or commanded to depart 
into the miseries of hell. 

It is pleasing here to have your parents tell you, you 
have done well, and to receive the approbation of the 
good. And yet the praise they bestow is often unde- 
served, and it may be very transitory. How much 
more pleasing then will it be to hear God say, " Well 
done good and faithful servant," knowing that it is not 
bestowed in vain ! — It is painful here, to incur the cen- 
sure of our parents and fall into disgrace of our fellows ; 
and yet the censure may not be deserved, and the dis- 
grace may be unworthy of attention. How much more 
then, how inexpressibly, painful, will it be, to fall into dis- 
grace of God himself, and hear him say : " Depart from 
me, into everlasting fire ;" and all this too, before the 
whole world ? Here is honor worth seeking after, worth 
possessing ; here is dishonor to be shunned and dreaded. 
With these thoughts before you, will you not think on 
eternity, and live for it, seeking that honor which comes 
from God only ? I seem almost to hear you say : 

" Blessed Savior, according to thy promise, the dead 
are to rise again and come forth alive from their graves ; 
those who have done good to eternal happiness, but those 
who have done wicked to the most frightful misery. O 
help me, then, according to thy direction, to receive thy 
word with pleasure, and, in all things, yield it most per- 
fect obedience. As the only honor worth having, comes 
from thee, and it will prove infinite disgrace to be disowned 
by thee at last, help me in all things to seek that honor 
which comes from God alone. Help me, blessed Savior, 
to obey and confide in thy Father in heaven above, by 



REAL HONOR AND DISHONOR. 135 

whom thou wast sent ; that at last I may be so happy as 
to obtain the honor of hearing him say, " Well done, good 
and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.'' My 
hope, my strong desire, is to obtain eternal life. The de- 
cision which thou passest upon me I know will be just. 
The honor I receive from thy hand will be deserved 
through my Savior. Clothed in the robe of righteousness 
which he has provided, I shall arise at the resurrection 
of the just, and enter into eternal joy." 

Hymn. 

No more of toil or fawning, 

For aught below the sun ; 
I see the judgment dawning, 

And brighter as I run. 

Take back, ye who for it languish, 

Earth's faded wreath and torn ; 
I blush with burning anguish, 

It ever to have worn. 

I pant for laurel flowers, 

Of pure celestial hue; 
In bright immortal bowers, 

I have a seat in view. 

Kind angels call me thither, — 

I hear their harps resound, — 
With wreaths that never wither, 

By Jesus to be crowned. 

There we'll rehearse the story, 

Of Jesus' dying love, 
And range the fields of glory, 
With kindred souls above. 



136 A FEW OTHER DOCTRINES. 

SECTION XXIV. 

Eternal life. 

I am destined, then, to eternity. My body only is to 
die. My soul is to live forever. It will live when this 
sun has gone out, and all these stars are extinguished, 
and the heavens and earth have departed. It may have 
to live in everlasting pain and sorrow, in that dreadful 
world, of which the Bible speaks, and in which all the 
wicked are, after death. But it may also be permitted to 
live in that world, where Jesus and his holy angels are. 
The Savior so loved the world, that he gave his life for 
its salvation. He has by his death, provided for even 
such a sinner as I am. I seem to see the gates of heaven 
thrown open before me, and 

" The kind angels at the gates, 

Inviting me to come ; 
While Jesus my forerunner waits, 

To welcome travellers home.' 5 

The world has lost its charms. I see it short and tran- 
sitory. I am allured onward to the realms of glory. I 
cannot forget how happy my school-mate, Henry, was, 
when he came to die. " O mother," said he, " I am go- 
ing to see Jesus, and I shall love to be with him." And 
grandmother, too, when she came to die, she was talking 
about heaven, and the people there, all the time, until 
she lost her voice. I would be willing to stay here as 
long as God pleases ; but, O how pleasant it will be to go 
to heaven, and there inherit eternal life. There will be no 
sickness there, nor cold winter, nor darkness, nor storms, 






STERNAL LIFB. DELIGHTS of hi:\vi:\. 13* 

nor death. It will always be day there, and happiness and 
peace. And then the music will be so sweet, — not a dis- 
cord in it nor a jarring note. There too, crow t| ie trees of 
life, and rolls the living stream, of which I have read in 
the Revelation of John. I shall eat of the fruit which 
grows on those trees. I shall drink of this water, not 
at a great distance from the fountain head, where it is com- 
mingled with putrid or bitter streams, but close by where it 
comes out of the throne of God, that great white throne. 
But above all, there I shall find Jesus, who loved me so 
much before I knew any thing about him, who thought 
of me in the kindest manner, before I even had a being. 

i; There I shall see his face, 
And never, never sin." 

O what inexpressible thoughts arise in my mind while I 
think of these things. I am indeed often afraid that I do 
not love my Savior better than every thing else. But 
there are times, in which I hope I do. And then, T 
think I understand what is meant in the Pilgrim's Pro- 
gress, when it is said, that Christian, having gone up to 
the top of the house and looked towards the south, be- 
held at a great distance, a most pleasant mountainous 
country, beautified with woods, vineyards, fruits of all 
sorts, flowers also, with springs and fountains very de- 
lectable to behold. It was the same place which he and 
Hopeful saw, by the aid of the perspective glass which 
the shepherds gave them, when they were on the top 
of the hill, called Clear. It was the celestial city, it was 
that paradise into which Jesus told the penitent thief on 
the cross that he should be, in a little while, and that 
too, on the very day of his death. It was that place I 
love so much to think of. 

12* 



138 DRAWING NEAR HEAVEN. 

O my blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, from my very heart 
do I rejoice, that thou hast given me such instruction re- 
specting thy will, and the way to eternal life ; that thou 
hast furnished me with such inviting prospects. Help me 
ever more to press onward, with the world behind my 
back, and heaven before me ; and feel truly grateful for 
that grace of thine, by which I am enabled to look for- 
ward to the future with such glorious hopes. 

II Y M N. 

Amid the wilderness I tread, 

Of gloom and pilgrimage and dread, 

With scenes eternal drawing near, 

Tarn cheered ; the realms of joy appear. 

What tho' the land be dimly seen, 

And death's cold river roll between, 

At every step appear a foe, 

And hell flash fearful as I go ; 

To guard me safe on either hand, 

I see the angels marshalled stand, 

While brighter, like the dawning day, 

Heaven sheds its beams upon my way. 

Taste, then, no more, earth's bitter streams — 

Keep fast thine eye upon these beams ; 

Press boldly up the mountain glade, 

Or fearless penetrate the shade, 

Till, clad in new immortal bloom, 

Thou issuest from the desert gloom. 

Enraptured, then, survey the plains, 

Where thy Redeemer lives and reigns ; 

Hard by, the trees celestial grow, 

And life's broad living waters flow ; 

The city of thy God lies here, 

The rainbow and the cloud appear, 

The sacred choir, the burnished throne, 

And (joy transporting !) all thine own. 






PART III. 

SECTION I. 

I. The Parables of Jesus. 

Introductory Remarks. 

You have already heard enough, my young friends, of 
the instructions of Jesus, to know, that every thing he 
taught is useful, and will be listened to and remembered, 
with great pleasure, by pious children and youth. He 
has, however, taught us many things in a peculiarly in- 
teresting and agreeable manner. To his disciples, and 
others who collected around him, he often uttered little 
histories or narratives, which are usually called parables. 
These were either accounts of events which had really 
happened, or else inventions made for the occasion, just 
as if they had happened. They embodied most excel- 
lent instruction, and were expressly intended, by the in- 
terest they excited, to set those who heard them a think- 
ing. From them, we too may learn a great deal as to 
what is right, and what is wrong; as to what is good 
and adapted to make us happy, and what is wicked and 
adapted to render us unhappy. I can here make you 
acquainted with but a few of them. If you read them with 
attention, they will prove very salutary to your imagina- 
tion and your heart. 



140 



r ARABLES OF J I 



SECTION IT. 



The lost son. 



A ricli man had two sons. The youngest did not wish 
to remain any longer under the inspection of his good 
father; and, for the purpose of being able to live with- 
out hindrance, according to his youthful inclinations, he 
resolved to go into a distant country. He requested of 
his father, therefore, the portion of the estate which 
would regularly fall to him, as his share of the inheritance 
after his father's death. The good man complied with 
his son's wishes ; and this young man collected all his 
money together and went into a strange country. Here 
he did whatever seemed to him to be good, and gave 
himself up altogether to sensual pleasures, leading a very 
wild and disorderly life; until, in a short time, he had 
squandered away all his wealth in sports, drunkenness, 
and debauchery. Soon after this, there came on a terri- 
ble famine, in the land where he was residing. On ac- 
count of his great poverty, he felt the pressing scarcity 
far more than others. In order, therefore, to avoid 
dving of hunger, he was forced to become a feeder of 
swine. While he was thus employed, he would gladly 
have satisfied his hunger with the swine's food ; but not 
even of this did he receive a supply. Inexpressible in- 
deed was the depth of anguish, into which this young man 
now found himself plunged by his past follies and dissi- 
pated conduct ! He, who had possessed great property, 
lived in luxury, perhaps worn splendid garments, and 
seen himself surrounded with a multitude of gay and joyful 



THE LOST SON. REPENTS AND RETURNS. 141 

companions, — now saw himself just ready to die of hun- 
ger, clothed in ragged and filthy garments, living in the 
most contemptible condition a man, and especially a Jew, 
could occupy, — among the swine in the field, and afflict- 
ed perhaps, at the same lime, with diseases brought on 
him, by his dissipation. 

Alone and forsaken, he now began to think upon his 
miserable state. In the course of his reflections, he 
said to himself: ' l How many day-laborers has my 
father and they all have food enough, while I am here 
perishing with hunger. I will arise, and go again to my 
father, — will confess to him my folly, my unsteadiness, 
and my infamous conduct, and ask his forgiveness." He 
immediately entered upon the journey, and came to his 
father. His father caught sight of him. while he was at 
a great distance, and in him, at once recognized his son. 
Full of compassion for the miserable condition in which 
he saw his son, the father ran to meet him, fell upon his 
neck, and kissed him with the greatest tenderness. Full 
of humility and bowed down to the very dust, the return- 
ing son then said to him : ' Best of fathers, I have sin- 
ned grievously against God and against thee, and am no 
more worthy to be called thy son. Take me into thy 
family as a day-laborer, as a hired servant. 5 The good fa- 
ther forgave him every thing, took off his filthy, tattered 
garments, clothed him with a fine robe, putting a ring on 
his finger and shoes on his feet, commanded a splendid 
feast to be prepared, told the members of his family that 
they ought to be truly joyful, and, full of paternal gladness 
and delight, exclaimed to them : ' See here ! This my 
son was as it were dead, but he is alive again ; he was 
lost, but now he is found. 5 

The eldest son, on coming from the field where he at 






1 12 PARABLES OF JESUS. 

first was, hearing of the return of his brother, and per- 
ceiving the joy it occasioned, was so far from rejoicing 
with his father and all the family, as to be filled with en- 
vy and indignation. He would not even go into the 
house. The good father went out to him, and reasoned 
with him, intreating him to come in ; but instead of 
yielding to his father's solicitation, he brought up re- 
proaches against him, objecting that he had never once 
permitted him to make merry in a friendly festival ; but 
that as 60on as his other son had come home, who had 
wasted away his property in the most dissipated life, he 
had killed for him the fatted calf, and made a great feast. 
The good father, however, replied to his son in a manner 
full of affection and love, told him that he had ever lived 
with him, and been receiving favors at his hand, and be- 
sides was as it were master of all his estate ; and, by 
rightly impressing him, respecting the matter, endeavor- 
ed to bring him to take part in the joy of the whole fami- 
ly, on account of the safe return and the thorough refor- 
mation of his only brother, telling him as he had told the 
rest of his family, that nothing was more proper than this 
joy, for that this brother of his, was like one restored to 
them from the dead, or one found, after he had long been 
given up as altogether lost. 



THE OLDEST SON. GOD FORGIVING. 143 



SECTION III. 

Reflections. 

This parable has been extolled as a most admirable one, 
particularly by the pious Lavater of Switzerland. It is 
indeed deserving of all the praise it has ever received, 
and should be read not only, but studied. In what I say 
of it I must be brief. 

By the good father is to be understood God, our righ- 
teous Father in heaven ; and by the lost son, the sinner. 
As the father here spoken of, forgave his deeply humbled 
and repenting prodigal son, as soon as he asked for for- 
giveness ; so God our heavenly Father daily forgives all 
those godless children and wicked men, who, coming to 
reflection, acknowledge their sinful ways and repent. 
They may belong, indeed, to the very vilest, and have 
treated him with the greatest abuse ; but as soon as from 
a distance, he catches sight of them coming towards him, 
he forgets and forgives the past, runs to meet them and 
clasps them in his arms. Such kindness is there in the 
heart of our heavenly Father, and so ready is he to for- 
give the repenting sinner. And then the joy occasioned 
as Christ tells us, among the angels of God, by the re- 
pentance of the sinner, is very finely represented by the 
joy with which the prodigal was received on his return, 
in the house of his father. 

From this parable then you see that there is a deep in- 
terest taken in the salvation of the sinner, in the spiritual 
world. The family from which this prodigal has wander- 
ed is a most kind and affectionate family, and look upon 



I i 1 PARABLES 01' JESTS. 

nothing with so much pain, as the waywardness of one 
of their Father's children, — look upon nothing with so 
much joy as the return of sucli a profligate. 

I do not know how you are affected, my young readers, 
with this view ; but as to myself, I cannot get it out of 
my mind. // alarms me. There must be some unutter- 
able reasons why the good beings of the spiritual world 
should feel so deeply anxious for the salvation of the sin- 
ner. It Jills mc with hope. As however worthless I may 
be regarded in this world, there are beings in the universe 
who do not so regard me. The inhabitants of heaven 
take the deepest interest in my welfare. 1/ allures me. 
I feel that the heavenly family, from which I have wan- 
dered, is a most lovely one, and long to rejoin it, confi- 
dent that I never shall be happy, so long as I am away 
from it ; and though consciousness of unworthiness, often 
causes me to blush and tremble, when I think how 
pure and holy it is; yet the tender manner in which God 
is represented as receiving the returning sinner, allures 
me onward. I will continue my journey to my Father's. 
I am unworthy, but he is kind. lie has received others, 
and I am sure that he will not reject me ; and if I can 
only get into his family, even as a hired servant, I shall 
be happy. It is all I ask. 

The parable before us, however, gives rise to other reflec 
tions. From it you see clearly into what an unhappy con 
dition young people are brought by giving themselves U] 
without consideration to the follies, lusts, and dissipation 
of youth. He who, like the lost son, spends the early 
years of his life in extravagance and vice, will, when h< 
becomes older, like him, find himself sunk in poverty 
shame, and contempt. Diseases, weakened energies o 
soul, and a life shortened by crime, are the natural pun 



A SAD SPECTACLE. THE HTOBPITAL. 145 

ishments which lie ordinarily draws down upon himself by 
his irrational conduct. Believe me, I have known a 
great many youths who, by their wild and godless lives, 
had plunged themselves into the most woful misery. At 
the beds of the sick and dying, I have heard the sighs of 
many young persons, while they cried out : " Would to 
God we had not so blindly followed our lusts and passions. 
Had we yielded obedience to the exhortations of our pa- 
rents, and teachers, we should not be now lying here in 
such a pitiful condition. We ourselves are the guilty 
authors of our misery, of the woful death before us." 

It would hence be well for your friends occasionally to 
take you with them to the sick room or to the hospital, 
and there point out to you some of these miserable beings. 
You would in truth find it very sad, to behold them ex- 
periencing, both in body and mind, the most direful ef- 
fects of a dissipated course of life, and writhing in ago- 
nies, from which in this world, there is no deliver- 
ance; but from it, I trust, you would derive instruction. 
How could you indeed see the drunkard and debauchee, 
£oin£ down to the grave in unutterable and irremediable 
torments, without flying from the bottle, — however al- 
luring it might seem, — and without refusing ever to suf- 
fer yourselves even in thought, to forget what Solomon 
has told us at the command of God in the seventh chap- 
ter of Proverbs, and what the Savior himself has said in 
the twenty-eight verse of the fifth chapter of Matthew ! 
You would then have a visible illustration of the truth so 
often declared in the Bible, — that indulgence in pleasures 
which God has forbidden, ends in the greatest unhappi- 
ness, the most fearful suffering. You would see with 
your own eyes, that the way of the transgressor is hard ; 

13 



146 PARABLES or jlsus. 

that sin does, indeed, at least in this world, bite lik< 
serpent and sting like an adder. 

And besides, just think of the black crimes which lie 
in the way of a young man, when he has once fairly em- 
barked on the current of self-indulgence ; of the deep, 
the overwhelming sorrows he will bring down upon his 
dear parents and friends, — hurrying them away, perhaps, 
to untimely graves ; and above all, of the fearful doom 
that awaits him, when, without one solitary friend, with 
Jehovah himself for an enemy, he enters the other world. 

Forget not then, that you have a weak and effeminate 
heart. It is easily wrought upon by wicked pleasures. 
It must be guarded on every side, or else it will leave 
you to be blinded to what is good, and to be hurried awav 
by the allurements of vice, as others have been. Call to 
mind the admonitions you have already received. Shall 
your parents and friends, and the word of God itself, have 
all exerted their influence over you in vain ? The words 
of the pious Gellert, (as near as I can translate them,) 
who was a faithful and experienced counseller of youth, 
are in this view, worthy your deep attention. 

Sweet pleasure blasts the wretch she seizes, 
While chasteness, life and health secures : 

There's nought but pain and sore diseases. 
For him who follows where she lures. 

He who destroys God's temple here, 

Deserves Ins vengeance most severe. 

How lovely was the youth, and blooming. 
Ere charmed from virtue's hallowed ways ; 

But now — pale, haggard, and assuming — 
The flower is blighted and decays. 

Deep guilt corrodes his brow with fears, 

And whispers judgment in his ears. 



PRIZE RESTRAINT. A PURE PLEA8UEB. 11* 

Vlee then the cup that Pleasure offers ; 

And should her flattering smiles impede, 
Go ask the grace that Jesus proffers. 

And wisdom in the hour of need 
'1 noifst many a trial here to brave, 
Or die at last, beyond the grave. 

Recognize it, therefore, as the greatest of divine favors, 
that you still live under the inspection of good parents 
and teachers. Receive with gratitude the chastisement 
they inflict upon you, should it even happen to be a little 
severe. No youth, when he comes to sober thought, will 
murmur on this account, except the light-minded, — those 
who are inclined to criminal extravagance, and wish to live 
according to the bias of their own irrational self-will, far 
away from all parental direction and restraint. The prod- 
igal was such a character ; it was his disposition in this re- 
spect, that occasioned his misfortunes. Beware, there- 
fore, of becoming so blind to your own interests, as, for 
the sake of a little self-indulgence, to think for a single 
moment of breaking away from the careful and vigilant 
education of your parents and other friends. Remember 
that they know more of the world and the human heart, 
than you do, and can tell far better what is for your good. 
Put perfect confidence in their wisdom and kindness, 
and yield unhesitating obedience to their advice. They 
may sometimes deny you a pleasure ; but, depend upon it, 
they will have reason to do so; and that in the end, you 
will bless them that they guarded you so closely, and 
were often severe towards you. 

And besides, is pleasure your object ? Good children 
and youth are a source of daily happiness to their parents ; 
and where can you find pleasure in greater purity, than in 
daily seeing the hearts of your parents filled with joy at 



148 PARABLES OF JESUS. 

your good conduct ? And will it be no pleasure to re- 
ward these guides and guardians of your youth, for the 
innumerable sorrows and cares they have sustained on 
your account, and the ceasless pains they have taken to 
make you happy ; and to reward them too, in the only 
way in which it will ever be possible for you to do it ? 

It is painful for me here to reflect that this little book 
may perhaps fall into the hands of some who have long 
since given themselves up to forbidden pleasures, or at 
least, to great wildness and irregularity of conduct, and 
thus have already broken the hearts of their parents and 
guardians. The very thought recalls to my mind many 
trying scenes that I have witnessed of mothers, weeping 
for ruined sons, or sisters, for lost brothers. I had thought 
in this place of relating some of them, but they will 
probably occur in abundance to every body's recollection. 
Where is there a village which is not full of tales of woe 
of this kind ? one instance in my own experience, while 
passing several years since, from Geneva to Auburn, very 
deeply impressed me. After crossing the Cayuga lake 
on the afternoon of a beautiful May-day, having strayed 
out of my course, I had knocked at the door of a retired 
cottage, to obtain some refreshment. I was most cor- 
dially received by a widow woman and her daughter of 
about sixteen years of age, and heartily welcomed to 
whatever I wanted. Nay more, I was entertained with 
an interest for which I could not account, and had ques- 
tions put to me about my mother and myself as if they 
felt the deepest interest in our mutual welfare. On my 
arising to come away, the daughter had withdrawn. 
The mother, after having urged me to spend the night at 
her house, accompanied me to the door. Here stood the 
daughter ; who seeing rne about to leave them, burst into 



BROKEN HEARTED FRIENDS. AN INSTANCE. 149 

a flood of tears, exclaiming, ' O you make me think of my 
brother, you look so much like my brother. 5 ' Here the 
riddle was solved. The woman's only son had left her, a 
lonely widow, during the last war, and gone into the army. 
For some time she had heard from him incidentally, or in 
other ways. At length, she ceased to hear from him any 
more. Years had now elapsed, and yet neither his 
mother nor his sister had forgotten him. When they saw 
me coming towards the cottage gate over the field, my re- 
semblance to him deceived them and made them think 
for a few moments, that he had returned ; and, though it 
was painful to find that it was not so, the same resem- 
blance made them afterwards take a deep interest in me, 
and wish to detain me. I left them, putting up a prayer 
to heaven in their behalf, and feeling that a mother's and 
a sister's love is too sacred to be trifled with or disregarded. 
Jf any such wayward youth should happen to catch 
sight of these lines, let him read the parable of the lost 
son, and look carefully into his own heart, reflecting how 
bad he has been. It may be too late for him now, even if 
he repents, to undo all the injury he has done to his pa- 
rents and friends ; but by repenting he can obtain the 
forgiveness of God, a good share of happiness even in this 
life, and above all things, happiness beyond the grave. 
This in such cases, is the only way, in which we can re- 
pair the injuries we have done our friends. 

Prayer. 

Blessed Father in heaven, suffer not the wicked plea- 
sures of youth, to have power over me. Let me be 
guided all my life long by wisdom and godly fear, in order 
that it may go well with me, both in this world, and in 

13* 



ISO PARABLES OF JESUS. 

that which is to come. So govern me and others young 
like me, by thy good Spirit, that none of us may fall into 
the follies and dissipations of youth, as did the lost son, 
and bring ourselves into misery. 

O God, thou knowest how many things there are to al- 
lure us to sinful pleasures, in the world, and how many 
there are, who would gladly seduce others to become 
their companions in wickedness. My heart is still weak. 
Like other children, I am often indifferent to the truth, 
and very thoughtless. I pray thee, suffer me not to be 
led astray by any wicked examples, and drawn into 
vicious practices. Sustain me in all the temptations and 
allurements I meet with to sin, and bring me safely to 
heaven at last. 

Blessed Father in heaven, I have often sinned grievous- 
ly against my parents and against thee, t am not wor- 
thy to be called thine ; yet, for the sake of Jesus, forgive 
all the sins of my youth. Help me from this time on- 
ward, to be more careful to please thee, and to fill my pa- 
rents and teachers with joy, by my good and pious con- 
duct. Hear my prayer, for the sake of Jesus, in whose 
name it is offered. 



A TRAYER. THE DIFFERENT TALENTS. 151 



SECTION IV. 



The servants with different sums of money. 

A rich man in the course of his business, travelled in- 
to a foreign country. Before he left home, he called to- 
gether his servants or the managers of his affairs, and pre- 
sented them with certain sums of money. To one he 
gave a thousand dollars, to another five hundred, and to 
a third, three hundred. To them all he said : " Use 
the sums which I have now put into your hands, in such 
a way as to gain something by them, until I come again 
and call for a reckoning with you. When he returned 
and held a reckoning with them, he found that the first 
had gained a thousand dollars, and the second five hund- 
red. He was well satisfied with them, and returned to 
them what he had put into their hands at first, together 
with what they had gained, promising to entrust them 
with still more. 

The third one, however, had been too idle to gain any 
thing by the money with which he had been entrusted. He 
had suffered it, indeed, to lie wholly unemployed. His 
lord, therefore, with justice, gave him a sharp rebuke, dealt 
with him as an idle and wicked servant ; took his money 
from him, and gave it to him who had originally received 
the most, and who had, at the same time gained the most, 
and thereby shown, that he would also know how, well to 
employ a larger sum. In addition to this, he also con- 
demned the slothful servant to severe punishment, for his 
unfaithfulness. 

This little narrative or parable, my dear readers, is also 



lo'2 PARABLES OF MUM 

full of important instruction. God has not given you 
equal powers of body or mind ; nor furnished you with 
equally favorable means and opportunities for obtaining 
useful science, knowledge and skill. To some he has 
given more in this respect, and to others less. Now all 
that is required of any child, is, that he make a faithful 
use of the gifts or talents which have been loaned to him. 
Whatever you have received from God, whether more or 
less, you are under obligation to employ for his glory and 
the benefit of the world. lie who has received much 
good from God, is called upon to exhibit much diligence, 
in turning this good to a careful purpose. 

Know, therefore, that those children, who have good 
powers of mind and have property, are far more deserving 
of punishment and are far more odious in the sight of 
God and man, for being ignorant and useless, than poor 
and simple children are, for remaining in their stupidity 
and wickedness; for the latter are destitute of those ca- 
pacities and encouragements to become useful in what- 
ever is good, of which the former are possessed. In the 
mean time, however, poor and simple children are also 
deserving of punishment and contempt, if they do not 
employ the little time, opportunity and power, they have 
in endeavoring to become wiser, more pious and more 
skilful. 

Carefully avoid, therefore, on the one hand, every 
thing like envy or hatred towards others, who may have 
more in this world than yourselves. On the other hand, 
be diligent in your youth, in every thing that is good : 
for if you do so, you will receive far more from God when 
you are old, than he has now given you ; and in heaven, 
God will reward you with unspeakable honor as having 
been pious and faithful. 



. 



Tin: RICH MAN AND POOR LAZARUS. I ; >3 

Let not thy heart be sad or grieved, 

That meagre is thy store ; 
Improve the gifts thou hast received ; 

God never asks for more. 



SECTION V. 

The rich man and poor Lazarus. 

You will find this little narrative in the 10th chapter 
of Luke. You must have heard it and read it. It is 
one of the most solemn and awful ones there is in all the 
New Testament. It teaches us, that wicked men often 
prosper in this world, spending all their days in splendor 
and joy, and flourishing like a green tree planted by the wa- 
ter brooks ; while the pious, on the other hand, are often 
obliged to suffer poverty and every manner of disease. 

You will experience the truth of this, when you grow 
up to be men, and become better acquainted with the 
world. Think not, however, on this account, that the 
wicked fare better than the good. This life is very short. 
In seventy or eighty years at farthest it is gone ; and very 
few live to be so old. Then the wicked die, as well 
as the good. Now after death there is another life, 
which lasts forever. There it will become manifest, that 
it was happier to honor, love, and obey God, than it was 
to forget him and do wickedly ; for in that world, the wick- 
ed suffer eternal pain, and the righteous have everlasting 



I<54 PAftABLEfl OF JESUS. 

joy. The wicked rich man, lifted up his eyes being in 
torments, while the poor good man, was happy in heaven. 

Take particular notice of this ; and should it be your 
lot, also, to suffer from poverty and want in the midst of 
your piety, while you see wicked men around you possess- 
ed of temporal abundance and delight, do not, on that ac- 
count, become weary of the practice of godliness. Con- 
tinue pious, and do nothing which is not right in the sight 
of God. With those who pursue this course it will go 
well at last, when the wicked, who were happy at first, 
have fallen into eternal poverty, shame, and misery. You 
have an instance of this, in the rich man who was not 
good ; who, after death, as the Savior tells us, was una- 
ble to obtain a cup of water to cool the burning heat of 
his tongue, while Lazarus, after the poverty and want he 
had suffered upon earth, was partaking of enjoyment and 
repose in heaven. 

Fix this little narrative firmly in your minds ; and as 
often as you read it or repeat it, pray : " Guard me, bless- 
ed Father in heaven, against every thing like want of 
pity and tenderness of heart towards the poor and suffer- 
ing."' 

1 ask not wealth or honor here, 

But like my Lord above, 
With those who weep, to drop a tear 

Of sympathy and love ; 
And when I come at last to die, 

A humble part to share 
With the redeemed above the sky, 

And be remembered there. 



TIIC MERCIFUL SAMARITAN. 155 



SECTION VI. 



The merciful Samaritan. 

I have just been telling you how, from the account of 
the rich man and the poor Lazarus, and the different 
treatment they received in the other world, you should 
learn to use property aright and to sympathize with and 
assist all who are poor and needy. 

The little narrative or parable of Jesus, about the mer- 
ciful Samaritan is also calculated to excite you to the same 
good conduct. You have all doubtless read it; but to 
fully understand it, you must be informed that the man 
who got so wounded on his way from Jerusalem to Jeri- 
cho, a road frequented by thieves and robbers even to this 
day, was evidently a Jew ; that the priest and Levite who 
passed by him, were Jews too, and hence bound as breth- 
ren, but much more by their profession, to assist this poor 
wounded man ; and that the Samaritan who finally treat- 
ed him so kindly, belonged to a class of people, with 
whom the Jews had no dealings, and whom indeed they 
looked upon as enemies. The Samaritan, therefore, did 
not merely find a man and a stranger in distress. The 
person whom he found wounded and forsaken and half 
dead, and took such tender care of, was his bitter enemy. 

In this parable then you have beautifully set forth by 
the Savior himself, the duty of loving your fellow crea- 
tures, of which I have more than once spoken. You are 
always to be ready to do, as the Samaritan did, — to assist 
those who need your assistance, without any regard to 



156 PARABLES OF JESI 

the place or country to which they belong, even should 
they happen indeed to be your bitter enemies. 

If, therefore, you see another child fallen down and 
brought into danger, or a poor man lying in the streets 
and in danger of dying from cold and hunger ; you must 
raise this little child up, and do every thing you can to 
save it. You must ask your parents and neighbors to 
give this poor man food and clothing and to bring him in- 
to a house, in order that he may not perish of cold and 
hunger. That would be a very wicked child which should 
rejoice to see others in misery, or ridicule a poor man who 
should be suffering with want. That would be a very 
foolish and ignorant child, which should think that we 
ought not to give any thing to or help a sufferer, be- 
cause he was of a low rank, or had been educated in 
another religion. 

Whatever the sufferer be called, whether high or low, 
Christian or Jew, Lutheran, Catholic or Reformed ; re- 
gard it not. Serve him, help him, give him what he 
needs. So God does. So Jesus, according to the ac- 
count of the merciful Samaritan, would have us do. So 
the angels would do, if they lived upon earth. 

C II A R I T V. 

Cold the heart of man was beating". 
When heaven's Love in pity came. 

And, with kind and gentle greeting. 
Softly whispered Jesus' name. 

Slighted oft, and unattended, 

Still she wanders here below, 
Seeking for the unbefriended, 

Listening to the tale of woe. 

O'er the stranger, see her bending, 
As he fainting lies and cold ; 



THE SOWER. AN OBSTINATE TOOTH. 

While, with anxious care attending, 
On she leads him to her fold. 

Should in distant wilds 1 languish, 
Let me view her watching hy, 

Hear her soothe my dying anguish, 
See her pointing to the sky. 

And, earth left, with hope to stay me, 
Covered o'er with wounds of sin, 

At heaven's portal down I'll lay me, 
Till she come and lead me in. 



157 



SECTION VII. 

The Sower. 

In the parable of the sower, we read, how the seed 
which was scattered abroad, fell upon many different 
kinds of soil. A part of it, in particular, fell upon a hard 
trodden footpath, where it found no earth, and was lost. 

This representation reminds us of many foolish and ob- 
stinate youth, who remain inattentive and indifferent to 
all the religious instruction and good exhortations they 
have received from their teachers and parents, — who, 
though possessed of the best means for growing in chris- 
tian virtue and knowledge, make no use of them whatev- 
er, but still remain ignorant and wicked. 

I remember such a youth. He was my classmate at 
an academy, and called Stephen. His father, a pious 

14 



158 1 -ARAHLES OF JESL>. 

and good man, had taken great pains with him, and 
tried various ways to bring him to repent of his sins 
and love the Lord Jesus Christ, but all in vain, lie still 
remained a wild and irreligious youth ; and at last, when 
urged by his father to go to a sabbath-school, which had 
just been established in the place, he boldly declared 
to him, that he did not wish to be driven to heaven. 
The scene however soon changed. On going to the 
academy one morning, I was told, and the news gave me 
an inexpressible shock, that Stephen was dead. He had 
had no sickness. On the other hand, he was smart and 
active ; and but a day or two previous, he had recited with 
his class. 

On the evening before his death, at a party of young 
people, he got to bantering with his companions about 
drinking what he called the essence, but they affirmed 
to be, the oil, of wintergreen, until he finally swallowed 
quite a vial full of it. Soon after the poor fellow'b return 
home, he was seized with dreadful thirst, and asked a 
little brother to rise and get him some water. Great 
agony succeeded, which continued to increase, in spite 
of the efforts of the physician, even after the cause had 
been ascertained, for the information was given too late. 
Nor was this all. His mind was in greater agony than 
his body ; and when he found death inevitable, deeply 
did he lament the manner in which he had treated the 
pious efforts of his father, and refused to go to the sab- 
bath-school. 

Poor youth ! His mind and heart, had been like the 
footpath, which is trodden down hard. The seed of the 
word of God could find no soil there ; and in the end, he 
died as the fool dieth. 



A FEARFUL RESULT. THE LABORERS. 



159 



Happy will it be for you, my readers, if your hearts 
resemble that good ground, in which the seed sown 
took root and brought forth rich fruit, — if you listen at- 
tentively to pious exhortations and religious instruction 
from your parents and teachers, and treasure the truth 
up in your soul, — if, agreeably to what they teach, you, 
from your youth upwards, love virtue and the fear of the 
Lord, and, all your life long, make it your grand object 
to become stronger and more consistent as disciples of Je* 
bus Christ. 



SECTION VIII. 

The laborers in the vineyard. 

A certain master of a family, going out early in the 
morning to hire laborers into his vineyard, found some 
whom he agreed to employ for a shilling a day, and ac- 
cordingly set at work. Going out again about nine 
o'clock in the morning, and finding others standing idle 
in the market-place, or the place of public resort, he told 
them also to go at work in his vineyard, and that what- 
ever was right he would be sure to give them. The same 
thing he also did to others at noon, and at three o'clock 
and at five, in the afternoon. 

When the day had closed, he called all his laborers to 
him, and beginning with the last whom he had hired, and 
proceeding backwards in this way, he paid them all up, 



ItiO PARABLES OF JESUS. 

giving every man a shilling, and making no difference 
between those who had worked all day, and those who 
had worked only a part of it. 

The good man in doing this certainly did not wrong 
those whom he had first hired ; for he gave them all for 
which he had agreed with them. To those on the other 
hand, who had labored less than a day in his vineyard, 
he showed himself good and generous ; and his conduct 
in this respect, ought to have excited universal approba- 
tion. It did not. Those who had labored all the day, 
were filled with envy of their fellow laborers and mur- 
mured against the good man of the house. 

This parable is also full of instruction. From it we 
learn, in the first place, that it is the will of God, that 
from our earliest years, we should ever avoid idleness and 
diligently employ ourselves in labor. There is something 
for us all to do, and we should be careful to do it. An 
idle man is usually an unhealthy man, and always an un- 
happy and wicked man. 

From this parable, we learn, in the second place, that 
God does as he pleases with every thing, and that it is our 
duty to feel that his will is the best, and to be satisfied 
with it. Even if we find it disagreeable at present, in 
some things, and contrary to our own wishes and inclina- 
tions, we must be careful not murmur against it, and his 
government. In the way of submission and obedience, 
we shall find that God's will and government were the 
best, and had their origin in wisdom and goodness. 

From this parable, we learn, in the third place, the ob- 
ligation we are under, to acquire all that knowledge, and 
to perform all those works, which God has pointed out, to 
persons of our age, rank, and calling, as to be acquired 
and performed ; and that in so doing we shall certainly 






BE CONTENTED AND DILIGENT. 161 

obtain his blessing and in a far richer measure than we 
deserve. 

Prom this parable, we learn, in the fourth place, that 
to be envious of others for being richer, more distinguish- 
ed, and happier than we are, as those who labored all 
day IB the vineyard, envied those who had labored but I 
part of the day in it, is contrary to the will of God, is to 
show ourselves enemies in heart to mankind, and full of 
ingratitude to God for his goodness. 

And finally , from this parable, we learn, that all chil- 
dren and youth who have hitherto wasted their time in 
idleness, malicious tricks, and not only useless, but sin- 
ful conduct, should resolve at once to repent of their 
wickedness in this respect. From this time onward they 
should employ all the means and opportunities in their 
power, for the accomplishment of some good object ; and 
by so doing, show themselves more grateful to God, than 
they have hitherto done. If they have for a long time 
neglected this duty, they should now attend to it, with so 
much the greater diligence, and spend every moment, 
and all their strength, in striving to become truly able 
and christian men. 

H Y M N. 

1 See how the little busy bee, 

Improves each shining hour, 
And gathers honey all the da}', 

From every opening flower.' 

Like her, for body and for mind, 

Each passing hour to fill, 
Employment you must also find, 

Or Satan surely will. 

14* 



162 PARABLES OF JESUS. 

Think how the da)' has run to waste; 

Your sun intensely shines ; 
Haste, children, to the vineyard haste, 

And toil among" the vines. 



SECTION IX. 

Perseverance in Prayer. 

You remember that in speaking of prayer, I told you, 
you must always persevere in praying, if you would have 
God hear and answer you. So our Savior has told us, 
in two parables, which he spake at different times, on 
purpose to illustrate this very subject. In the first he 
says : 

1 Suppose one of you to have a friend, and about mid- 
night to arise and go to his house, and from without, call 
to him, saying : ' Friend, lend me three loaves of bread ; 
for altogether unexpectedly, there has come to me, a 
worthy guest, and I have nothing to set before him.' 
He would dislike this unseasonable disturbance, and 
from within perhaps reply : ■ Trouble me not ; the door 
is now shut; I and my children have gone to bed, and I 
cannot rise and give you what you ask.' Now this man, 
though he cannot be induced by his friendship for you, 
to rise and furnish you with bread ; yet by your pressing 
importunity, he will, I am certain, be induced to rise and 
give you as many as you want. Now I need not tell 



PRAY ALWAYS. THE UNJUST IUDGB. 168 

you, (as the Savior meant by inference to be understood,) 
that if friends can be induced by importunity or perse- 
vering requests, to do such favors for each other, even 
against their feelings ; much more may God, who is al- 
ways ready and willing to hear and answer the prayers of 
the faithful.' 

The second parable may be expressed in familiar lan- 
guage, so as to exhibit the true meaning, somewhat as 
follows : 

' In a certain city, there was a judge, who neither 
feared God, nor regarded man. He was a hard charac- 
ter, prided himself in his perfect indifference and inde- 
pendence, and in his actions was guided wholly by his 
own feelings and selfish interests. In the same city, 
there lived a poor, defenceless, widow woman. This 
widow had a neighbor, from whom she received very un- 
just and oppressive treatment, — such treatment, indeed, 
as she could receive only from her enemy. Having suf- 
fered much from him, she, at length, as the only means 
of deliverance and redress from her wrongs, went and 
laid her case before this wicked, unjust judge, and en- 
treated him to defend her against her adversary, and 
maintain her rights. This poor woman brought no pre- 
sents, — her request was disregarded, and she returned 
home in sadness of heart, still to suffer under the hand of 
her enemy. She did not, however, give up her case in 
despair. She from time to time renewed her suit to the 
unjust judge, though for a great while, utterly in vain. 
At length, becoming weary of her, he said to himself: 
* I will grant the request of this poor woman, — not be- 
cause I am afraid of God, or have any regard to man, for 
I am perfectly indifferent to both : but to get rid of her 



164 PARABLES OF JESIS. 

troublesome and exhausting importunity.' lie did as he had 
resolved to do, and the poor woman went home rejoicing. 
Now hear, (continues Jesus,) the language of this un- 
just judge. lie resolves to do what is right, not because 
it is right, — from fear of God, or regard to man, but 
simply because it suits his convenience, — to get rid of 
trouble. And can you suppose that God, holy and 
just as he is, will fail to appear in behalf of those, who, day 
and night, in great confidence, lay their requests before 
him, without thereby wearying his patience ? I assure 
you he will not. lie is far removed from making any un- 
necessary delay in their cause. They are his beloved. 
They have but a short time to wait for his appearance. 
When, however, the Son of man comes, will he find this 
belief in the land? Will he find his professed followers 
possessed of such confidence in this respect, as they ought 
to have, and relying without despondency upon his faith- 
fulness and love ? Will he find their oppressors in any 
dread of his coming V 



SECTION X. 

The good master and the hard servant. 

All young persons who are inclined to anger, enmity 
and revenge, should, for their instruction and improve- 
ment, often and attentively read what Jesus has told us. 
of the nobleminded conduct of the good lord or master. 



TI1F. GOOD MASTHIl VXD THB HARD SERVANT. 165 

in forgiving one of his servants a great debt at his own 
particular request ; and what Jesus has told us too, of 
the hardness or cruelty with which this servant, after he 
had received this favor, treated a fellow servant, who 
owed bin but a small sum. It throws light upon what 
I told you, on page 76 ; how you must be ready to for- 
give, if you would have God hear your prayers and for- 
give you. God is ready to forgive young persons, as well 
as others, their sins, and do them great good here, and 
also hereafter, if they repent, reforming their disposition 
to anger, enmity and revenge. If, however, they fail of 
this condition, and, not withstanding God is ready to 
forgive them, show themselves unkind, unforgiving and 
revengeful, let them remember that they will be seized 
and thrown into prison, — a dark, gloomy prison, — at last. 
Let such thoughts as these pass through your youthful 
minds, and excite you to serious reflections and efforts 
upon this subject : 

" God and my parents and teachers have much to 
bear with, and treat very indulgently in me, a weak 
and erring child. Instead of punishing me often and 
with severity, as they might do, they forgive me the pun- 
ishment I deserve, treat me with tenderness and friend- 
ship, and show me a thousand favors. Surely then it 
is reasonable and just, that I should suppress all anger 
and hatred and grudging in my own breast, and like 
them learn to bear with forgiving patience the faults of 
others, and with a willing mind, to do good to those who 
have injured me. 

Moreover, it would make me very unhappy if I should 
not forgive my brothers, sisters, and playmates, the 
wrongs they do me ; for then my heavenly Father would 
not forgive me my sins against him ; I shall never ob- 



160 PARABLES OF JESUS. 

tain happiness after death, unless I have his forgiveness, 
i hope I shall ever rememher this, and cultivate kindness, 
forbearance and forgiveness in my very heart towards all 
offenders, feeling that God only prevents me from being 
as bad as the worst, and that I am now a guilty sinner 
in his presence, and have no hope of pardon, but what 
comes through Jesus. 

1 Yes, my soul was once forfeited, and so were all 
souls. But he who had the power of us, and might best 
have taken the advantage of our sins and crimes, dealt 
kindly with us, took pity on us, and himself found out a 
remedy. O what should we do, if he who is the judge 
and sovereign of all, should but judge us as we are ! 
Let me think of this, and I am sure that kindness and 
mercy will breathe within my lips.' Let me, when I 
feel hard and unforgiving, go to the cross of Jesus, look 
there upon my suffering Savior, and think how he came 
there : 

" Sinful soul, what hast thou done ? 
Murdered God's eternal Son;" 

and I am sure I shall not feel inclined to treat any of my 
fellow creatures on earth with severity, but be rather dis- 
posed to weep over their sins." 

Go to Calvary, — raise thine eyes — 

Flows the crimson down the tree ! 
'Tis Immanuel bleeds and dies, 

Pardon to obtain for thee ! 

Can a sinner e'er forget, 

How his crimes were cancelled here, 

And, when trifling is the debt, 
Use a fellow-worm severe ? 

No, tho' bitter be the task, 

Like my Savior now in heaven, 
I'll forgive and only ask, 

In my turn to be forgiven. 



SOLILOQUY ON DEATH. 167 



SECTION XI. 



II. Reflections, etc. on particular discourses 

AND PARABLES OF JESUS. 

On death. 

I am young, active, and healthy ; but I will not there- 
fore venture to give myself up to youthful lusts and plea- 
sures, thinking myself secure from death. If I should 
do so, my end might come before I was prepared for it, — 
in a manner altogether sudden and unexpected. I would 
ever remember the case of the rich man, of whom the 
Savior tells me in the Testament. He thought thus 
within himself: " I have goods enough collected togeth- 
er for many years. I will now quit labor, and, having 
built larger and carefully stowed them all away, betake 
myself to the real enjoyment of life, — I will eat, drink, 
and make merry." But God thought differently, and 
said to him : ' Thou fool, this night shalt thou die.' 

Besides, I remember a number of my playmates have 
died. There was Mary and John, who went to the sab- 
bath-school with me, and one of whom, belonged to my 
class ; they were sick but a little while, and died very 
suddenly ; and they were both younger than I am. And 
when the instructor told me the other day for a composi- 
tion, to describe the grave-yard, and to copy some of the 
most interesting epitaphs I found there, I recollect I 
was astonished at the number of short graves, with the 
children in five of which I had been acquainted ; and 
the graves of three of them, were quite new. 



1GS PARTICULAR DISCOURSES AND PARABLES. 

Nor shall I soon forget one of the epitaphs : " A flower. 
It bloomed in the morning and withered at night." It 
recalled to my mind a piece of poetry in my sister Olive's 
Album about the morning-glory. She saw a morning- 
glory just opening, early in the day, and was delighted 
with it ; and having cut off a large piece of the vine on 
which it grew, carried it into her room ; but she had 
plucked it too early ; before noon it withered and died. 
Not long after, a friend to whom she had told the circum- 
stance, wrote the following piece for her, in her Album. 
I have thought of it often since, and I hope as I 
repeat it, T shall never forget, that though [ am young 
and active, and well, I am not too young and active, and 
well, to sicken and die ; or to lose my life by some ac- 
cident, as many others have done. 

The morning-glory. 

Olive, call to mind the story, 

Of the flower you plucked so soon ; 

'Twas the beauteous morning-glory, 
Withered, blighted, dead at noon. 

I have plucked me many a flower, 

Fragrant, beautiful and gay, 
But, alas ! from hour to hour, 

Seen them wither and decay. 

On a rose-bush, slightly shaded, 

Two sweet buds I lately found ; 
In one hour they bloomed and fided, 

And fell withered to the ground. 

Such is life. — in fairest story, 
Blooming lovely but to fade, — 



GRAVE-YARD. EPITAPH. MORNING-GLORY. 169 

Oft in youth, — a morning-glory, — 
Withered, blighted and decayed. 

Yet in Virtue's garden growing, 

Sweet perfume it leaves behind, — 
Plucked of angels, fresh and glowing, 

In immortal wreaths to bind. 

Prove, my child, fair Virtue's flower; 

Then, though blighted at the tomb, 
In thy Savior's fadeless bower, 

Sweetly shalt thou ever bloom. 



SECTION XII. 



On humility. 

What an excellent rule of prudence and modesty is 
that, which Jesus laid down, while he was sitting at meat 
with a company of people full of pride, and extremely 
jealous of their rank ! ' When thou art invited to a feast 
or a wedding,' said he, ' do not go at once and sit 
down in the highest place. A more distinguished guest 
than thou art, may come in, and then thou shalt be 
obliged with shame, to take a lower seat. Rather take 
at once, the lowest seat, and then thou wilt receive honor, 
if thou art directed to a higher one/ 

And very excellent too, is the moral sentiment which 
15 



170 PARTICULAR DISCOURSES AND PARABLES. 

our Savior expressed, and often repealed, showing the 
advantage of humility over pride : " Every one that 
exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that humbleth 
himself shall be exalted." 

I used sometimes to think that those who acted the 
proudest, and I believe were the proudest, got along the 
best ; but I do remember that a great many quarrels 
which took place among the boys at school, arose in pride. 
One said he was the strongest, and another said that he 
could hit the ball the best, and a third, that lie could 
play quoits the best, until they all got angry and began to 
fight. I remember too, that those boys and girls, who 
seemed to be so proud, were not loved so much as others, 
while those who seemed modest and humble, and ready 
to oblige and honor others, were loved by almost every 
body. 

I know that I have nothing to be proud of, for I am a 
weak and inexperienced child ; but yet I know that I 
am apt to feel proud, and that pride is very unbecoming 
and wicked. I hope that as I grow up, I shall become 
wiser and better in this respect, and never be guilty of 
despising such poor ignorant children and youths as I am. 
Above all things, I should be humble before God. The 
Savior, in his account of the Pharisee and the Publican, 
who went up together in the morning to the temple to 
pray, has given me a fine example of the odiousness of 
all pride and haughtiness, and of the loveliness of humility 
and self-abasement, in the sight of God. The proud and 
honored Pharisee went boldly up to the place of worship 
and prayer, and, standing up erect, went to talking before 
God of his own excellences and good works ; while the 
poor despised Publican stood at a great distance, and, 
feeling unworthy to even lift his eyes up to heaven, smote 



HUMILITY. PRIDE. THE LOVE OF CJOI). 171 

upon his breast, and only asked God to have mercy upon 
him. 

From this account it appears, as I have already been 
told, that God is merciful to those only who form no vain 
conceits of their own goodness in his presence, and who 
are hence not guilty of treating others with haughtiness, 
but who, on the other hand, feel that they are weak and 
sinful, and altogether unworthy of the favors they receive 
from his grace. 

Blessed Father in heaven, to me also, from the first 
moment of my existence, hast thou shown thyself un- 
speakably good. I know that all thou hast done for me, 
has been the result, not of any worth or merit in me, but 
purely of thy divine and paternal mercy. Suffer me 
never to forget this ; and for the sake of Jesus, continue 
to be gracious to me, a weak and erring child. Clothe 
me with his blessed humility. 



SECTION XIII. 



The great love of God. 



How happy is my lot ; what a gracious God I have ! 
How much care he exercises over me, and what unwea- 
ried pains he has taken to make me his, and bring me to 
everlasting happiness ! My Savior has represented this 



172 PARTICULAR DISCOURSES AND PARABLES. 

to me in truly vivid colors, by the image of the faithful 
shepherd, who went out into the wilderness after a single 
sheep which had .strayed away, and looked for it until he 
had found it ; and then, full of joy, laid it upon his shoul- 
ders ; and having arrived at home, called together his 
friends and neighbors, and said to them : " Rejoice with 
me, for I have found my sheep which was lost." The 
same blessed care and anxiety, he has also brought clear- 
ly to my view in what is said about the lost piece of 
money. 

1 Where is there a woman/ says he, (he speaks of a 
poor woman,) ' who, possessed of ten nine-penny pieces of 
money, if she lose one of them, will not light a candle, 
sweej) the house, and seek with all diligence until she 
find it ? And having found it. she calls together her female 
neighbors and friends and says to them : " Rejoice with 
me, for I have found the piece of money which I had 
lost." I assure you that there is such joy among the an- 
gels of God, over one sinner who truly repents and yields 
obedience to my doctrines.' 

My blessed Father then in heaven, has sought for even 
me. What pains has he taken, by instruction, and ad- 
monition, and various acts of benevolence, ever since I 
had a being, to truly enlighten my understanding, thor- 
oughly impress my heart, draw me to himself, and final- 
ly bring me to heaven ! O wonderful love ! It brought 
the glorious Redeemer down to this world to suffer and 
die for me not only, but all sinners. Yes, the Son of 
man, as he has asserted, did indeed come to seek and to 
save that which was lost, — to look up his perishing sheep. 

lie once had a fold in Eden, a peaceful, happy fold ; 
but his sheep broke loose from it and strayed away into 
the wilderness of the world. He discovered it ; and, 



THE LOST MONEY AND SHEEP. JESU8' LOVE. 173 

though he had other sheep which had not strayed, he 
mourned over the wanderers, his heart was touched with 
compassion for them, and he resolved to risk his life to 
save them. Accordingly, the good shepherd left the de- 
lights of his father's house, and wandered far off into the 
wilderness to look them up. 

He found them scattered on the mountains, or panting 
of thirst by bitter streams. They were faint and weary, 
and worried by ravenous beasts of prey. He presented 
himself to his beloved flock. He called them all by their 
names. He would fain have led them to green pastures, 
to secure fields, and have enclosed them in his fold. But 
they knew not his voice ; they fled away at his approach. 
But he threw himself between them and the wolves of 
the wilderness, which came howling upon them on every 
side. He faced these ravenous beasts of prey. He fought 
with them. He fell before them. The good shepherd 
laid down his life for his sheep. His body was man- 
gled and torn for them in the wilderness. But his pur- 
pose was accomplished in death. His sheep were rescu- 
ed, for the enemy were satiated with his blood. 

O inexpressible love ! No wonder that God, under 
the influence of this love, sends angels to guard those 
that are his. He loved them while they were his ene- 
mies ; much more must he love them as his friends. He 
will certainly continue to love and protect them until 
death, and hereafter forever. Nothing shall ever alien- 
ate his affections from them. 

Most gladly then will I, like an obedient child, hear 
him calling me, and follow his voice. I will make it my 
first object to obtain heavenly dispositions and feelings. 
I shall then find my greatest pleasure in the company of 
good men; and, like the angels of God, from my very 

15* 



174 PARTICULAR DISCOURSES AND PARABLES. 

heart rejoice to see ignorant and wicked men becoming 
wiser and better. I shall then be safe as long as I live. 
Feeling that I am a child of God, and have his angels 
around me, and his eye of love upon me, I will pass fear- 
lessly on through the wilderness. 



II 



Y M N 



O wonderful, amazing love ! 

When death was drawing nigh, 
The Savior left his throne above, 

For enemies to die. 

All hell in furious storms arose ; 

On Calvary he ends ; 
Twas thus he loved his bitter foes, — 
O how he loves his friends ! 

Sweet streams of mercy ever flow, 

Celestial fruits abound, 
And angels guard them as they go, 

And kindly hover round. 

Cheer up, my soul, thine eyes elate ! 

See myriads on the wing, 
To guard the feeblest to the gate 

Of their eternal king. 

Fear not. Tho' child in years and strength, 

A life-guard is at hand ; 
Thou safely shalt arrive at length, 

In Canaan's happy land. 



CHRISTIAN SAFETY. INNOCENT PLEASURE. 176 

SECTION XIV. 
III. Hints and examples from the life of Jesus. 

Youthful pleasures. 

Jesus, as we read, together with his disciples, went to 
a wedding. He did not, however, disturb the enjoyment 
of the guests who were present. On the other hand, he 
took measures to preserve it, by changing water into 
wine. 

From this we see, young friends, that the kind Sa- 
vior permits men to have innocent enjoyment. Here, 
also, he teaches them by his example, to hold agreeable 
and friendly intercourse with each other. Dark and mo- 
rose persons he evidently could not endure. He com- 
manded his disciples, in their acts of divine worship, to 
avoid all hypocritical disfiguring of the face, sourness of 
look, and hanging down of the head, and required of 
them never to appear sorrowful without a cause. 

It is not true, then, as young persons are apt to think, 
that religion is designed to be a gloomy thing, and that 
to become Christians, we must give up all enjoyment in 
this world. The Christian, as well as others, may take 
satisfaction in life and rejoice in social intercourse. In- 
deed, the Christian is the only person who can draw solid 
pleasure from the things of this world, and the bounties 
which God has heaped upon the human race, in the 
works of creation. The difference between him and a 
wicked man in this respect, is very much like that be- 



176 



HINTS AND EXAMPLES. 



tween an obedient and a disobedient child. Both arc 
living upon the kindness of the same father ; but the 
disobedient child receives every thing with an improper 
spirit; — with a moroseness of temper, and with that kind 
of feeling, indeed, which prevents all real enjoyment. 
The obedient child alone derives solid satisfaction from 
the bounty of his father. 

Be then of a cheerful disposition, and delight in social 
intercourse. Look upon the world and all it contains, 
as the work of your heavenly Father, and his gift to you 
and others, to use with rejoicing. 

It is necessary, however, for Christians, and especially 
for young Christians, to guard themselves against taking 
improper delight in the things of this world. Their de- 
light is widely different from that of the wicked, and it 
must always be confined to certain limits. Because God 
permits them to have enjoyment in this world, and ac- 
cording to the example of Jesus, to have friendly inter- 
course with each other, thev are not to inve themselves 
up to sensual indulgence and youthful folly. 

Thus, for the sake of pleasure, you must never neglect 
to learn what your parents and teachers have told you to, 
nor ever break any of their commands. You must nev- 
er seek delight in any thing by which you transgress the 
word of God, injure your own healths, or do prejudice to 
the bodies or souls of others. You must never make 
youthful amusements the grand object of your desires 
and the main business of your lives. Your most fervent 
desires and most zealous efforts, must be directed to the 
strengthening of your minds, in acquiring what is useful 
and good, and accustoming your hearts to the fear of the 
Lord. Exercise great care in partaking of youthful en- 
joyment, and keep an eye upon yourselves, least your in- 



i 



( AITIOX. THE CREATOR'S BYE. 177 

noccnce and virtue be endangered, and you speak 
and do tilings, senseless, wicked, and highly deserving of 
punishment. This is a thing that often happens, when 
youth are drunk with joy, and giving themselves up to 
wild and extravagant pleasures. 

As the best protection against all temptations to sin, 
in this respect, you should think often and serious- 
ly, upon all that is good and praiseAvorthy, which as chris- 
tian children you are bound to perform, attend closely to 
your own hearts, and preserve a vivid recollection of the 
truth, of which I have before spoken to you, that God 
knows every thing and is every where present. 

Look at yonder sun. How glorious he shines ! He 
sheds his rays over the earth. His heat is felt every 
where. He pierces with a glance through the universe. 
Emblem of the great Creator's eye, which, with a glance, 
penetrates through heaven, earth, and hell. Ever live 
and act as though the great Creator's eye was, like the 
sun at broad noon-day, looking down upon you. This 
did the little child of whom I told you, when she was 
tempted to do what was wrong. This is just what Solo- 
mon tells us to do. ■ Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, 
and let thy heart cheer thee, and betake itself to delight ; 
but constantly bear in mind, that thou must one day stand 
before God in judgment, and give him an account of all 
thy pleasure.' 

And if you find, that, as Christians, acting under the 
influence of such views and feelings, you are deprived of 
some of those pleasures in which the wicked freely in- 
dulge, you will not, as Christians, much regret their loss. 
You have tasted of richer delights, the joys of pardoned 
sin. You will thirst for the enjoyment of your Redeem- 
er, You will long to walk the green fields of heaven, 



178 HINTS AM) EXAMPLES. 

drink of the river of water of life, and pluck of the mel- 
low fruit that grows on its banks. You will prefer a 
day in the house of God, to dwelling in the palaces of 
wickedoeflB. Your greatest joy will be, that your names 
are written in the Lamb's book of life. Nothing is more 
certain than that he who is always thinking of the water 
of this world, has never tasted of the water of life. 

1 What sinners value, I resign ; 
Lord, 'tis enough that thou art mine. 
Let me behold thy blissful face, 
And stand complete, in righteousness. 

Then. — glorious hour and blest abode ! — 
I shall be near and like my God ; 
And flesh and sense no more control, 
The sacred pleasures of the soul.' 



SECTION XV. 

Peter and the miraculous draught ofjishes. 

All night long had Peter toiled with his net, and taken 
nothing. This was no doubt very trying to him. He 
was a fisherman by trade, and depended on success in his 
business to provide for his family. He and his partners 
had evidently given up all farther efforts at present, in 
despair. They little knew what mercy there was in store 



CHRISTIAN JOY. THE FISHES. 4 HARD HILL. 1~ ( .> 

tor them. God, by this very disappointment, had prepar- 
ed the way for greater blessings. 

Jesns had been teaching in the neighborhood. lie 
was then walking near by, on the sea-shore. lie caught 
sight of Peter's vessel, at a little distance from land, and 
having entered it, and taught the people a while from its 
deck, he said to Peter : " Launch out into the deep and 
let down your net." Peter did so, telling Jesus at the 
same time with a desponding voice, of the ill success that 
he and his companions had had during the night ; and 
immediately and to his utter astonishment, he obtained 
such a wonderful draught of fishes, that the net was bro- 
ken, and both his vessel and that of his companions 
were filled so full as to be just read to sink. 

By this miracle Peter's family was provided for. At 
the same time, it convinced him that Jesus was under di- 
vine influence, and produced in him such humility, that 
Jesus numbered him at once among his disciples. ' De- 
part from me,' said he to the Savior, ' for I am un- 
worthy of thy presence, — I am a sinful man.' ' Fear 
not,' replied the Savior, ' for you shall hereafter catch 
men.' 

Here we see, that it is not certain we are forsaken of 
God, because we meet with ill success and great dis- 
couragement. The stations we respectively occupy, and 
the parts we have individually to perform in life, are in- 
deed various. All, however, to a greater or less extent, 
find the path of duty a path of fear and trouble. As 
Bunyan has aptly represented, it seems to lie right up 
a hill, which is high, steep, craggy, and very difficult 
to be climbed. So the faithful servants of God, whether 
apostles and martyrs, or Christians in the more retired 
walks of the church, have ever found it. It is ours alone 



180 HINTS AND EXAMPLES. 

to do with our might what our hands find to do. Results 
we must leave with our Father in heaven. He mav be 
after all, and, in proportion to our confidence in him, we 
shall unquestionably find that he is, dealing with us, 
even in his darkest providences, as his dearly beloved 
children. 

We here also see, that all human efforts, in order to 
prove successful, must have the divine blessing. Efforts 
are indeed necessary. Without them, we have no right 
to expect any thing from God. The hid who never 
studies has no reason ever to expect to become wise or 
learned. The man who sows nothing in the spring, will 
certainly have nothing to reap in the fall. On the other 
hand, however, it is also and very evidently true, that, 
without the blessing of God, we exert ourselves altogeth- 
er in vain. W T e may rise early and work late, but it will 
be labor lost. To be enabled to reap a crop of grain in 
the fall, for instance, from seed that we have sown in the 
spring, we must have warm rain and sunshine; and these 
God alone can send. So also we may begin early to 
study our books, be very diligent all day, and study late : 
and yet without the blessing of God, we shall not make 
any progress. Beautifully is this expressed by the Psalm- 
ist. 

" Except the Lord build the house," says he, M they 
labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the 
city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is in vain 
for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of 
sorrows." 

Here then, is clearly to be seen, what we have each 
one of us to do, if we would be truly prospered. H Yes," 
I almost hear you say, " as a youth I must always feel 
this my absolute dependence upon God, for success in 



BBBK (iOI)'s BLB88INO. THE WIDOW'S SON. 181 

every thing 1 undertake, and endeavor to obtain his bless- 
ing. I must begin, continue and complete, all my labors, 
in obedience to his holy will, and with pure aims to his 
glory, reiving in confidence upon his granting me his 
blessing and gracious assistance. If I do so, neither in 
temporal things nor spiritual, will my mind be distracted 
with doubts, fears, and perplexing cares. I shall be sus- 
tained in all the trials and disappointments of life ; and 
in the dark hour of sorrow and gloom, with the eye of 
faith, see the star of hope ascending the horizon. 

Here, then, blessed Father in heaven, I solemnly en- 
gage, to begin and end all my labors, in prayer, and con- 
fidence, in gratitude and childlike fear, before thee.'" 

On me thy blessing kindly shed ; 

Thy way is my desire ; 
O let me by thy hand be led, 

Or where I am, expire. 



SECTION XVI. 

The tuidow's son of Nain. 

The shortness of life as well as the kindness and com- 
passion of Jesus, are brought strikingly to view in the ac- 
count given of his raising from the dead the widow's 
son, of Nain. 

16 



182 HINTS AND EXAMPLES. 

As he and his disciples were entering the gates of this 
city, they met a funeral procession, carrying a young 
man to the grave. After the corp.-e there followed an 
aged woman. She was a widow. This was her only son. 

Poor woman, I seem to see her ! How she weeps ! 
She is bent down with age, and almost heart-broken with 
sorrow. She has doubtless relied with great confidence 
and fondness upon him to support her in the decline of 
life. She had nourished and cherished him in infancy ; 
she had been left alone with him, by the death of her 
companion. Her heart had become bound up in his. 
All of a sudden, her fond hopes were blasted ; the child 
of her love, the support of her years, was taken away 
from her ; and now with large crowds of sympathizing 
people, she is following him to the tomb. 

But Jesus meets the funeral procession. He sees the 
woman and her attendants. He penetrates at once into the 
grief of her heart. He touches the bier, and the bearers 
of it stand still. He exclaims: " Young man, I say unto 
thee, arise." He accordingly arises, and Jesus restores him 
again to his mother, who goes home with him in company 
of her now wondering friends, rejoicing. 

Repeated lessons do I have to teach me the compassion 
of Jesus, and remind me, that ' Man cometh Forth indeed 
like a flower, and is cut down ; that he fleeth also as a 
shadow, and continueth not.' 

H Y M N. 

Close on the silent grave we tread 

Perhaps before this day has fled. 

My life is closed — so frail and brief, — 

An autumn leaf! 
And friends bend o'er me drowned in grief. 



AN AFFECTING SCENE. THE CRAVE NEAR. 183 

Full many a youth, like mo in bloom, 

Has sunk as sudden to the tomb ; 

Upon eacli cheek the sunbeam played, — 

I saw them fade ; 
And ah ! how soon they had decayed ! 

Short hours of joy at best delay, 
The summons of the final day ; 
Eternity is drawing near, — 

Is almost here, — 
Behold the coffin and the bier ! 

Help me, with days so swift and few. 

To keep eternity in view, 

And, when it dawns, within to find. 

A soul resigned, 
And faith, my Lord, on thee reclined. 

Should then in youth these cheeks grow pale, 
And heart-string after heart-strrng fail, 
1*11 calmly hear death's cold behest, 

Lean on thy breast, 
And in soft slumber sink to rest. 

Or should my sands still longer run, 
While thus thy blessed will is done, 
Let this my happy portion be, 

Thy gift to me, 
To live and die at last, to thee. 



184 HINTS AND EXAMPLES. 



SECTION XVII. 



Jit flections on prayer. 

In the history of Jesus, I rind that lie was often visited 
by afflicted and unhappy people. Some came to him 
seeking help for their own diseases and pains; and 
others, for those of their families or friends. The Savior 
always kindly granted them the help they wanted. He 
sent none away without relief. 

I too will turn in prayer to Jesus and his heavenly Fa- 
ther, in the hour of sickness, danger, and want, — when- 
ever, indeed, I am in want of any good, which man can- 
not bestow. To him, too, will I also ever cry for help, 
whenever my parents, relatives and friends are in dis- 
tress. He himself has kindly and graciously encouraged 
me to do so. " Come unto me," says he, " all ye that 
are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 

Should it seem as if God did not intend to hear my 
prayer, I will not on that account cease praying. I will 
call upon him with increased heart-felt fervor, and perse- 
vere in my requests. Thus did the Canaanitish woman. 
When she at first made request to Jesus, in behalf of her 
daughter, he seemed for a long time to disregard it. She 
repeated it, however, and at length obtained her suit. 
Like her too and the Centurion of Capernaum, who, even 
while they prayed, felt themselves altogether unworthy 
of a hearing, I will, while I pray, endeavor to feel my 
un worthiness, saying thus to myself: 

II O Lord, I am unworthy of the mercy of receiving a^ 



Fit AY ALWAYS AND FAINT NOT. 185 

answer to my prayers ; yet as just such unworthy persons 
as I am, have often received great good at thy hands, 
thou wilt also say to me, if I come to thee in real 
sincerity of heart, even as thou hast said to others : ' Let 
it be done to thee, according to thy word. Be comfort- 
ed, thy faith hath made thee whole.' " 

And should the Lord, after all my perseverance, seem 
to refuse his answer to my request, I will not therefore 
murmur against him and think of him as having broken 
his promise. His word is unchangeable. I will goto my 
own heart, as the cause of this failure. Perhaps I had 
concealed some beloved sin there. I will remember that I 
am shortsighted, and cannot see what is best. But 
should the requests which I make to him, be gracious- 
ly heard and answered, and should I receive the good 
which I earnestly desire and pray for, I will not therefore 
give myself up to feelings of pride. With Peter I will 
make confession : " I am a sinful man, O Lord ; w and 
this thought shall still keep me humble, while with grate- 
ful feelings I acknowledge the numerous favors, which, 
notwithstanding my un worthiness, I receive from the 
hand of God. 



16* 



186 HINTS AND EXAMPLES. 



SECTION XVIII. 



The last coming of Jesus to Jerusalem. 

It was a joyful occasion when Jesus came up to Je- 
rusalem, for the last time, and entered the city. The 
multitude which accompanied him, full of exultation, 
spread out their cloaks, and strewed branches of trees 
along before him, in the way, to do him honor. On his 
descending the mount of Olives to the west, large crowds 
of persons, who had come up to Jerusalem to attend the 
feast of the passover, and had heard of his raising Lazarus 
from the dead, met him from the city, bearing palm- 
branches in their hands, and crying out : " Hosanna 
to the Son of David ; hosanna to the King of Israel." 
The whole multitude of the disciples, also, who had ac- 
companied him from Bethany, reflecting upon all the glo- 
rious things they had seen and heard, while with Jesus, 
caught the prevailing spirit of exultation, and joined in 
the cry of praise and glory to God, which rang through 
the procession. On his entering the temple, in the city, 
and while he was engaged in performing a variety of won- 
derful works, the children in the temple were also heard 
crying out : " Hosanna to the Son of David." 

Jesus alone was sad. On first catching sight of Je- 
rusalem, he beheld the city and wept over it. He could 
not help thinking, how this wicked city had rejected him 
and his mission, was about to imbrue its haqds in his 
blood, and must soon be utterly destroyed by its enemies, 
for the sins of which it was guilty. And yet even the 



JESUS' LAST JOrriNKY To JKKL'SAI.KM. 187 

sadness of Jesus was mingled with joy. lie defended 
his disciples for their exclamations of praise, against 
the reproaches of the Pharisees, who, like spies, had 
crept in among the crowd. He approved of the hosan- 
nas of the children in the temple, to the Son of David, at 
which those hypocrites were so much enraged, asking 
them if they had never read what was written in the 
Psalms : " Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings 
thou hast perfected praise." 

Be assured, my dear readers, that we have great, ve- 
ry great reason to praise God, for having given us a Sa- 
vior. For what a miserable place would this world be 
without him ! Let me ask you again to look at yonder sun. 
How bright he shines. His rays awake us in the morn- 
ing from our slumber, and call us forth to the labors of 
the day. They cheer us as we toil. They warm the 
cold air and refresh our bodies. They put all nature in 
motion, causing springs and rivers to flow, the vegetable 
world to spring to life, and the animal creation to leap 
with joy, — to delight in existence. Take away this sun, 
and what a change ! No morning would again dawn up- 
on the earth. One long dreary night would succeed, and 
chilling vapors, and dreary cold. The rivers and brooks 
would cease to flow, the vegetable world to put forth, the 
animal creation would all soon be wrapt in the arms of 
a wintry death, and in short, the machinery of nature 
would every where stand still. 

Like this sun of nature, the Sun of righteousness now 
shines brightly upon us. His enlightening rays awake 
us from the slumber of sin, and call us forth to the labors 
of a brighter day. They warm our souls as we toil ; 
they cause the springs and rivers of milk and honey to 
flow ; they clothe the trees of life with verdure and bloom 



188 HINTS AND EXAMPLES. 

and fruit ; they fill the whole world of sinners who behold 
them, with transports of joy, — with hopes of endless glo- 
ry ; they fill heaven itself with songs of jubilee and ever- 
lasting praise. 

Take this Sun of righteousness away from our 
earth, and a worse than eternal midnight would succeed. 
It would be left shrowded in thick darkness; it would 
feel the infection of deadly vapors ; it would hang 
bound in icy chains. Not a life-giving spring or river 
would flow over its plains, a solitary tree or vegetable 
put forth in its fields, or a child of hope be found on its 
bosom. It would be a world of unutterable horror and 
despair. It would be in every whit dreadful. 

How much reason then have we to praise God, for 
having sent his Son to be our Savior ! Especially have 
we reason to praise him, if we have ourselves experienc- 
ed the forgiveness of this Savior. Well indeed may such 
love and extol him. Be assured, that to him and to Je- 
sus, the praises of all such, are very pleasing. Never are 
praises, however, more agreeable to God our Savior, than 
when they are offered by children and youth. He ap- 
proved of the hosannas of the little children in the tem- 
ple. Of the hosannas of such, he will ever approve. 
God loves, out of their mouths, to perfect praise. And 
then, how happy will he at last make those who thus hon- 
or and adore him ! What glorious rewards will he give 
them in heaven ! 

But another thought occurs to me, in view of Christ's 
last coming to Jerusalem and entering into the city. It 
will be a joyful occasion, when, with myriads of his saints 
from glory, he comes for the last time to the earth, and 
his people, hearing of his approach, go forth to meet him. 
Hosannas to the Son of David, to the King of Israel, will in- 



JE8U8 1 doi.nms i\ Tin: ti:mimj;. 1^9 

deed ring through the vast throngs that accompany him, 
and echo through the wide universe. Perhaps the Savior 
will burst into tears as he again catches sight of the vile 
earth and its unregenerate inhabitants, exclaiming some- 
what as he did over Jerusalem : " O that thou hadst 
known, at least in the very last hour of respite, the things 
which belong to thy peace. But now they are forever 
hid from thine eyes. Already the devouring flame be- 
gins to kindle upon thee !" But he will nevertheless, 
with joy, be welcomed home to glory, and with joy too 
in his own heart will he welcome his beloved followers 
thither. He will be joyful ; they shall enter into the joy 
of their Lord. 



SECTION XIX. 



The doings of Jesus in the temple. 

On the morning of the second day after the entrance 
of Jesus into Jerusalem, he went into the temple ; puri- 
fied it, as he did at the commencement of his career, of 
the people who had desecrated it to a market-place, full 
of noise, altercation, and profaneness ; and showed his 
goodness by healing all the sick and maimed who were 
brought to him there to be healed. 



190 HINTS AND EXAMPLES. 

The house of God is the place in which lie has agreed 
to meet his people. It is a holy place. Those who go 
there, should, of course, go there for holy purposes, and 
see to it, that while there, they worship God in spirit and 
in truth. To go there for unholy purposes, and to act 
the part of hypocrites, while there, is very wicked. This 
is evident from the zeal of Jesus to purify his Father's 
house at Jerusalem. Whenever, therefore, you go to 
the house of God, let it be resolving : " We will raise 
our hearts in devotion to God and listen to his word, and 
pray for grace to enable us to do so." 

Agreeably to this resolution, while at meeting, show 
your devotion to God by uniting in singing and praising 
with the church, at least in the secret feelings of your 
hearts ; by attending carefully to the sermon, and avoid- 
ing every thing like gazing around you, or like sport 
and indifference. ■ My heavenly Father's house,' says 
Jesus, ■ is a house of prayer/ It is a holy place. 
There we are to think of this heavenly Father, praise 
him, call upon him, learn his will, and receive encourage- 
ment and strength to yield full obedience to his com- 
mands. In a word, the house of God is the place to 
which sinners, as halt, maimed, and diseased, are led, to 
be cured by Jesus through the agency of his holy Spirit, 
of all their diseases and complaints. It is the place where 
Jesus is continually working the most wonderful cures 
and bringing souls into his kingdom. Here he displays 
his pardoning mercy and love, and grants consolation to 
his people. Whenever you go to this sacred place, 
think of the excellent example of attentiveness and devo- 
tion, which Jesus himself set us, in the temple of God, 
when in the twelfth year of his age. As you draw 



BOtmi OF GOD. EXAMPLE Of HUMILITY. 191 

near to the meeting-house, and especially in entering it, 
always call to mind the words : " Holiness bcconaeth 
thine house, O Lord, forever." 



SECTION XX. 

Humility. 

The humility which I have spoken of as taught by Je- 
sus in precepts, he also taught by an example. 

A contention had arisen among his disciples, respec- 
ting the ranks they should severally hold, and who should 
be deemed the greatest, in the kingdom of heaven. To 
make them ashamed of their foolish conduct, their ambition 
to hold a situation above others, and their proud conceit 
of their excellencies, he took a little child and placing it 
in the midst of them, and finally taking it in a kind and 
tender manner in his arms, pointed it out as an example 
in humility for them to follow. " You are contending, " 
said he in meaning, "about who shall be the greatest in 
the kingdom of heaven. I tell you most positively, that 
except, in humility, innocence, and goodness of heart, you 
come to resemble this little child and others like it, it 
is impossible for you over to enter the kingdom of heaven, 
or have any share in it." 

In view of this ex imple of humility, then, my young 
friends, and what I have before said to you upon the sub- 



192 hints am> i:x.\mi u 

ject, resolve that you will strive to resemble those good 
little children, who yield with the utmost readiness and 
submission to those that take care of them, doing what 
they are told to do, learning what they are told to 
learn, and showing nothing like obstinacy or ill-will. Say 
to yourselves : 

11 Pride and contempt of others shall never find a place 
in our hearts. We have from thy hands, O God, receiv- 
ed more money, better garments, more distinguished 
parents, more skill to learn, and higher means for obtain- 
ing the affection of others, than many poor, weak, sickly 
children and youth around us ; but we will not presume 
on that account, to treat them with contempt, or to form 
vain conceits of our own excellencies and gift-. Wc will 
look upon every thing we have, as coming from thee, 
be grateful to thee for those things thou hast bestowed 
upon us and not upon others, and sympathize with those 
who want this or that good in their youth. We will with 
pleasure, so far as our parents give us leave, furnish them 
with clothes and books, and show them other favors. 
Nor will we confine our benevolence to those who are 
destitute around us. We will think often of the heathen 
and others, and send presents far away to them." 

11 Is there ambition in my heart ? 

Search, gracious God, and see ; 
Or do I act a haughty part ? 

Lord, I appeal to thee. 

I charge my thought! be humble still. 

And all my carriage mild ; 
Content, my Father, with thy will. 

And quiet as a child." 



EARLY AFFLICTION. 1D3 



SECTION XXI 



Affliction. 

In the history of Jesus, my young friends, you read 
of children and youth, delivered from very severe diseas- 
es and sufferings. You will remember two cases in par- 
ticular. In one a woman had a daughter greatly troubled 
by a wicked spirit ; and in another, a father had an only 
son afflicted with a very sore disease, and also greatly 
troubled by a wicked spirit. 

From this you learn, that even the period of childhood 
and youth, has its troubles, that if you live, you will, as 

I have intimated, meet with affliction, and often be expos- 
ed to sickness, and death. You must have had proof 
enough of this, among your own young acquaintances. 
You have unquestionably seen them afflicted in various 
ways and exposed to great sufferings. But more than 
this; many of you who read this book, must have had 
sickness, or in some other way, experienced affliction 
yourselves. 

" Ah yes," I seem to hear you say, with sighs and tears ; 

II we have indeed experienced affliction. I have lost a 
dear father," says one. " Pie had sent me away from 
home to school ; but on a cold night in winter, a man 
came where I was, and with a very sad look, told me 
Father was very sick, and that I must go hone. And 
I went home ; but I found him dead, and mother and all 
the rest weeping around the bed on which he lay. I 
shall never forget how I then felt, and especially when 

17 



J ( .) 1 HINTS and r.xA.Mii.r.s. 

they told me his last word-, — how he said I must be good 
and live godly in Jesus Christ. I have often missed mj 
Father Bince, and felt what it is to be fatherless." 

" And I," says another, " have lost a dear mother. 
I was then very young. I cannot remember all about 
it; but I do remember how she looked at me, and then 
putting her hand on my head, prayed to God for me, 
that he would keep me from a wicked world. Her look 
and voice were very kind, and I wept ; but I did not 
then know verv well what she meant by a wicked world ; 
but I have since learned something of it. And when I 
hear other children speaking of their mothers, I cannot 
help thinking how mine looked, and how she prayed, when 
I stood by her dying bed, and it makes me feel very sad." 

" And I," says a third, " have lost a dear sister. She 
was older than I, and used to walk with me out into the 
fields, cull ilowers for me, and tell me stories. I loved 
her much, and wanted to be with her all the time. But 
at length she was taken sick, and I could see her no 
more, until they told me she was dead, and she looked 
very pale ; and then I recollected how I had sometimes 
grieved her ; and now I have no sister." 

And there are others of you who have various other 
complaints to make. Some of you have been very sick, 
and perhaps been lamed, or deprived of some of your sen- 
ses. Others are very poor and destitute of benefactors and 
friends ; while others again have lost dear brothers or 
playmates, or met with other afflictions. Indeed, the 
most of you probably at times, /eel inclined to think 
your lot peculiarly hard, in the world. 

Whatever be your afflictions, however, whether sick- 
ness, poverty, or the loss of friends, beware of murmuring 
against God, for bringing them upon you. He has de- 



BARM U n.K ITION BBNBFN I W.. 195 

clared in his word, that it is good lor a man to boar the 
yoke in his youth; that is, that it is good for as, to meet 
with trials when we are young. And so I doubt not you 
will find it, if you grow up in the fear of the Lord. 
Those who never meet with affliction when they are 
young, never know how to bear it, if they meet with it 
when they become old. Besides, those who have never 
felt affliction, never know how to sympathize with the 
afflicted. Nor is this all. Those who always enjoy this 
world, are very apt to neglect the next. Affliction, on 
the other hand, makes us feel that life is uncertain, and 
that solid happiness is not to be obtained short of heaven. 
Here you see reason enough why you should be afflicted. 
But even if you could not, there is no reason why you 
should murmur against God ; for Jesus Christ has de- 
clared, that in this world his children shall be afflicted ; 
but that he sees all their sufferings and will make every 
thing work for their good. 

Say thus to yourselves : " God certainly hat the best 
purpose in view in whatever he does, and does all things 
well. By means of the trouble which he brings upon us 
in youth, he wants to lead us early to forsake what is 
evil and do what is good. His will be done. We will 
bear the chastisements which he so kindly brings upon 
us, without murmuring. We will endeavor to improve 
by them and become better. We shall certainly hereaf- 
ter derive great benefit from the afflictions which we are 
thus early called to suffer, and thank God, for having, by 
means of them, rendered us more thoughtful, more pious, 
and more useful. If we are good, we shall, when we be- 
come older, experience joy at the hand of our heavenly 
Father, instead of our present sorrow ; at least, we shall 
beyond the grave. I remember how Lazarus was very 



196 HINTS AND EXAMPLES. 



poor, and afflicted with painful sores, in this life; but 
after death he was taken to heaven and filled with com- 
fort : and so I doubt not it will he with all who love God. 
There it will be seen that all God did to them, was in 
kindness." 



H Y M N. 

Scarce ceased to shed the childish tear, 
I mourn beneatli thy hand severe, 
And with a dark and cheerless sun, 
Begin my path of life to run. 

But deep and searchless is thy will, 
Tis mine to bow, be calm and still ; 
And, while this youthful bosom bleeds, 
To follow where thy spirit leads. 

Thou hast not, from thy child estranged, 
His joy to grief in anger changed ; 
Thy love has aimed the painful stroke ; 
'Tis good for me to bear the yoke. 

My sins, in number, like the sand, 
Called loud for thy chastising hand; 
I feel it, take the bitter cup, 
Bow at thy feet, and drink it up. 

Turn thee, my Father, kindly turn ; 
I come a child, thy will to learn. 
O help me humbly to adore, 
Walk in thy way and sin no more. 



NOT MY WILT., HUT THINK II!' DON!. I*)' 



SECTION XXII. 

Not my will, but thine be done. 

I am afflicted. I am bowed down with sorrows. I 
go mourning all the day, beneath the frown of my hea- 
venly Father. But then, my Savior was also afflicted. 
He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. 
In the garden of Gethsemane in particular, he was over- 
whelmed with anguish. His soul was exceedingly sorrow- 
ful, — even unto death. Lead me to the sacred place. It 
is solitary and dark. There he is ! He lies on the cold 
ground. Hark ! He prays ! Let me listen. " O my 
Father — if it be possible — not my will" — What does he 
say? Let me draw nearer. m O my Father, if it be 
possible, remove from me this cup of sorrows. Yet not 
my will, but thine be done." He repeats this prayer. 
He is resigned. His voice is calm. Consider for a few 
moments, my soul, the spectacle before thee, and then 
retrace thy footsteps to murmur no more. Learn, like 
thy Savior, to bow in humble prayer, and in submission 
to the will of God. Never, in the hour of sorrow, per- 
mit thyself hereafter to forget the scene thou hast wit- 
nessed in Gethsemane, the example of patience and holy 
resignation there set thee, by thy Savior. God does all 
things well, and so it will ultimately appear. Dark 
clouds now obscure the sun from thee; but there is still 
a sun. Soon they will pass off, and thou shalt feel his 
rays as warm as ever. Or thou shalt ascend the celes- 
tial mount, far above the region of clouds and storms, and 
feel his rays settling in eternal sunshine upon thy head. 
17* 



198 WHATEVER GOD DOES IS KINDLY DONL. 

Submit then in calmness to the will of thy heavenly Fa- 
ther, for he does all things well. 



II 



Y M N. 



Whatever God docs, is kindly done, 
And justly, tho' severe \ 
Where'er he leads, I'll follow on, 
And faithfully adhere ; 
In all these pains, 
He still remains, 
My guardian, God, and guide, 
And let his will decide. 

Whate'er God does, is kindly done, 
As all will shortly see ; 
He is my life, my daily sun, 
And cannot injure me ; 
In joy and pain, 
Nor more complain, 
I'll trust his tender care, 
Assured of goodness there. 

Whate'er God does, is kindly done; 
Tho' bitter now the cup, 
'Tis tendered by a skilful one, 
And I must drink it up ; 
Sweet joy indeed 
Will soon succeed, 
The anguish that I feel, 
And, therefore, peace, be still. 

Whate'er God does, is kindly done ; 

Nor will his kindness end. 

Tho' rough the journey that I run, 

And misery attend, 

Within his arms 

When fear alarms, 

I have a place to hide, 

And let his will decide. 



JESts' FAREWELL DISCOURSE. 199 

Whate'er God docs, is kindly done, 

And welcome to the pain ; 

I'll calmly trust this heavenly one, 

Until l.e smile a^ain, 

Or life exp res, 

And my desires, 

In heaven are satisfied, 

And let his will decide. 



SECTION XXIII. 



IV. The last discourse of Jesus with his disciples. 

On the evening before Jesus suffered, and in which he 
instituted the Lord's supper, he held his last and parting 
discourse with his disciples. This discourse is full of 
instruction and comfort, and gives a clear and lively ex- 
hibition of the love of his heart to those, whom he ad- 
dressed. I will present you with some extracts from it, 
of such doctrines and remarks as you can now under- 
stand and put in practice. When you are older and have 
acquired more penetration of mind, you may be able to 
read, reflect upon, and understand, the rest of it, which 
is more difficult. 

' I have set you an example of love and humility, that 
you should conduct towards each other as I have con- 
ducted towards you. — It is well that you know my 
instructions, but happy are you, if you practise them. 



200 JESUS' PARBWBLL D1S< O0BML 

— In taking my leave of you, I give you b new precept 
or commandment, — that you love one another, even as 
1 have loved you. By this shall all men know that you 
are my disciples, if you love one another. — Be not faint- 
hearted and desponding in the Bufferings of this life, but 
have confidence in your heavenly Father, and think on 
me. — I am going away to prepare a place for you in hea- 
ven : but though I am going away from you, I will come 
again to you and at length take you to myself, in order 
that you may be in that heavenly joy where I am. — It is 
through my doctrines or what I have taught, that a man 
comes to a knowledge of the truth ; and it is through my 
mediation, (that is, through every thing that I have done 
and suffered for the improvement and salvation of man- 
kind,) that a man comes at last to the possession of ever- 
lasting happiness. No one can obtain the friendship of 
my Father in heaven, and intimate union with him, ex- 
cept through me ; (that is, except he receive me in heart- 
felt obedience as his Lord and Savior.) — He who knows 
my commandments and lives according to them, he it is 
that loves me. And he who loves me, will be loved by 
my Father also, and I also will love him, and make him 
more intimately acquainted with my love. — He who loves 
me, does what I say, and my Father will love him, and 
we will come to him, and live with him as his friends, 
and always delight in doinnr him good and rendering him 
assistance. — With the same affection that my Father hath 
loved me, do I love you. Preserve yourselves worthy of 
my love. If you do my commandments, you will always 
remain worthy of my love, even as I have always remain- 
ed lovely and pleasing in the sight of my Father, because 
I constantly yield childlike obedience to his will. — This 
is my last commandment to you, my will and Testament, 






HIGHLY DESERVING ATTENTION. 201 

that you love one another, even as I have loved you. 
You are my friendfl if you do whatever I say to you. Be 
not astonished if those who are not my friends, hate you. 
If in your thoughts, actions, and passions, you were like 
the men of the world, they would then love you. But 
now as you differ from them in all these respects, they 
hate you. — He who hates me, hates my Father also. — It 
is for your good that I should leave this world. If I do 
not leave you, the spirit of truth will not come to you, 
and take up his residence with you ; but if I go away, 
I will send him to you. When this spirit of truth comes 
to you, he will lead you to a true knowledge of that truth 
and goodness which you do not now possess. He will 
teach you all things, and bring every thing that I have 
said to you, to mind. — In this world you must meet with 
trials and sufferings ; but be comforted ! I have over- 
come the world. (And so you also, shall overcome it, 
with all your trials and sufferings, if, according to my 
example, you steadily persevere in faith and obedience 
towards God and ever remain firm in goodness.) 

Such are some of the things which Jesus said in his 
last discourse to his disciples. Can you neglect them ? 
Would you not treasure up in your minds, the last words, 
the pious admonitions and directions of a dying parent, 
teacher, or friend ? Should you fail to do so, and zeal- 
ously to put them in practice, would you not show your- 
selves wickedly disposed and very ungrateful 1 And 
will you not then treasure up in your minds and put in 
practice, these, the last words of your Lord and Savior? 
How ungrateful to him, and how wickedly disposed will 
you show yourselves, by treating them with neglect ! 
For these words were spoken by Jesus, on the very eve- 
ning before he suffered, and some of them late in the 



202 THOSE WHOM »8Ufl LOVi:s. 

night, not long before he went out into the garden and 
prayed there in su::h anguish, and was betrayed to his 
enemies by one of his own disciples. They were spoken 
too in full view of the painful death that was before him. 
They demand attention, therefore, as the last words of 
your divine and yet dying teacher and friend. Regard 
them as such. Jn particular, bear in mind that those on- 
ly are his true friends, who live according to the rules of 
godliness which he has laid down ; that he loves those 
only who, agreeably to his precepts and example, evince 
that they have love to all others ; and thai without this 
love, a man's religion is mere pretension. 



PART IV. 



SECTION I. 

I. The virtues of Jesus. 

Introductory Remarks. 

I have thus far, my young friends, exhibited the Savior 
to you as a teacher most worthy of your reverence and 
love, confining your attention chiefly to his instructions. 
You have learned, that he has given us the best direc- 
tions in regard to the practice of all those virtues which 
are pleasing in the sight of God ; and you have in some 
measure become acquainted with them. I told you, 
however, at the very outset, that one reason why you 
should become acquainted with Jesus, was, that he was 
the holiest of men, and a perfect example for us to follow ; 
that we had only to ask how Jesus acted or would act 
under particular circumstances, in order to know how we 
should act. 

I am now going to speak of him in this respect, — to 
bring him before you in a few words as a perfect pattern 
of holiness, as an example for you to follow, in every 



204 THE VIRTUES OF JESUS. 

thing that he has taught us. And depend upon it, you 
will find a consistency in his character which you cannot 
find in any other. There are a great many men in the 
world who can talk very well about what is good, while 
their actions are very wicked. Nay, nothing is more 
common than to find people teaching one thing and prac- 
tising another. But it was not so with Jesus. What he 
taught he practised. His words and actions always 
agree together. 

Here then I must also ask for your attention ; for I 
am certain that your delight in Jesus, your regard for 
him and your confidence in him, will be very much in- 
creased, when you come clearly to see, that he was as 
pious, benevolent, upright, and well disposed, in all his 
actions, as he was in and according to his instructions. 



SECTION II. 

The tender friendship of Jesus for children. 

I begin with giving you that view of the heart of Jesus 
which is best adapted to please you, and fill you with 
reverence, love, gratitude, and confidence, towards him. 
That he had a kind heart, you will not question. From 
several incidents in his life you can also see that he was 
a great friend of children, and that he made known his 
love to them in a very tender and atfectionate manner. 



THE REGARD OF Jl <l S FOR CHILDREN. 205 

He showed great and altogether peculiar care for their 
happiness. He warned grown person^ against causing 
them to pffeild, that is, against setting them any wicked 
example, or giving them any occasion to sin ; and in or- 
der to make this warning so much the more powerful, 
he represented the man who is guilty of making young 
people worse, as to the highest degree a hurtful and 
wicked man, and deserving of very severe punishment. 
He exhorted his hearers not to despise children, on ac- 
count of their weakness and simplicity, because that they 
were held in great esteem by God, and that their angels, 
— those who had been placed over them as the guardians 
of their lives and their innocence, — had, on account of 
their very office in this respect, great authority in hea- 
ven. 

In order to make it still clearer, how much children 
are loved and esteemed by him and his Father in heaven, 
and to show why great care should be exercised for their 
souls, he then asserts, that he himself had come into the 
world for the very purpose, of taking charge of these lost, 
these neglected little ones, and conducting them to hap- 
piness. By means of some parables, also, he taught how 
near the happiness of children was to his heart, and how 
much his Father in heaven was doing for their salvation. 

How dear, well disposed, pious children are to him he 
has shown in the case of the contention which arose 
among his disciples, as to, " Who of them should be the 
greatest in the kingdom of heaven V Taking such a 
little child and setting it by him in the midst of them, he 
pointed it out to them as a most lovely example, and one 
which they must imitate and become like, in heart and 
soul, if they would really be his genuine subjects. 

On another occasion, when his disciples showed them 
18 



208 THE VIRTUES OF JESUS. 

•selves unfriendly to those who had brought children to 
him in order that he might lay his hands on them and 
pray over them, he was much displeased; and, having re- 
proved his disciples for this their conduct, he turned, 
and in the most affectionate words, said to those whom 
they had wished to send away from him : " Suffer the little 
children to come unto me, and forbid them not ; for of 
such is the kingdom of God." He then took the little 
children up in his arms, and, most affectionately em- 
bracing them, gave them his blessing. 

To good pious children, then, let me say : You are 
unspeakably dear to Jesus Christ. He has gone so far 
even as to declare that he should esteem and reward 
every favor done to you, as if it had been done to himself. 
Can any one have greater love for you than this ? And 
what a privilege to be thus loved by such a being ? Such 
then being the real feelings of kindness and the love of Je- 
sus towards you, you must at all times so live as to please 
him, and delight to do his will. His will is, you know, 
that you should love one another, even as he loves you, 
and labor continually to become more and more like him 
in wisdom and holiness, in order that it may go well with 
you in this world, and that when you die, you may go 
to him and live with him in heaven. And how much 
the confidence of those of us who are older, in Jesus 
Christ, should be strengthened, by his tender love for lit- 
tle children ! If we resemble good little children, wo 
may be certain that he will also love us. 

Hymn. 

For good children, there's protection ; 
Jesus loves them and is grieved, 






THE PIETY OF JESUS. 20" 

If, as once ho gave direction, 
Kindly they are not received. 

In the wilderness he sought them, 

Wildly straying, faint and cold ; 
In his mighty arms he brought them, 

And secured them in his fold. 

Touch them now, and most severely 

He avenges whom he saved ; 
Dearly bought, he loves them dearly ; 

On his heart they are engraved. 

Come to me, ye young and tender, 

When on earth he said, and smiled ; 
Welcome still to its defender, 

Is the lamblike little child. 



SECTION III. 

The piety of Jesus. 

I must also point you, my young friends, to Jesus 
Christ our Savior, as an example of the greatest piety, 
one of the noblest too, and the most deserving of your re- 
gard. There have been many very pious men in the 
world, such as Paul and John, and Brainerd and Henry 
Martyn ; but Jesus Christ has far surpassed them all. 

From the earliest period of life, Jesus loved and hon- 
ored his heavenly Father. When he was no more than 
twelve years of age, he gave a fine proof of the delight he 
had in his holy word ; for full of joy and eagerness to 
learn the truth, he took his seat in the temple in the 



208 THE VIRTUES OF JESUS. 

midst of those whose business it was to teach it. 
In early years, the purity and sincerity of his piety, ac- 
quired for him from duy to day, new love with God and 
with man. To the very close of his existence on earth, 
he, as a son, remained obedient to his heavenly Father. 
He never in all his life was guilty of a single sin. Not 
a false or unjust word ever came out of his mouth. All 
his words and deeds, including his miracles, bore testi- 
mony of his unchangeable love and filial devotion. 
1 He spake as his Father had told him to speak. He lov- 
ed his Father, and therefore did all that his Father had 
commanded him. He kept his commandments and 
remained in his love. He made known his Father's 
glory upon earth and completed the work which he had 
entrusted to him to accomplish.' 

From heartfelt love to God, he undertook the reforma- 
tion and salvation of the human race. Amidst all the 
troubles, nay, amidst the most frightful agonies which he 
was obliged to suffer in order to bring about this work of 
reformation and salvation, he remained faithful to God, 
and adhered firmly to the position: " I delight, O my 
God, to do thy will." He was always satisfied with God, 
retained confidence in him, and in every thing gave him- 
self up entirely to the divine guidance. 

From love to God, he every where zealously sought to 
brincr all men to do him honor. He taught them the 
will of God in truth, and with deep impression, and 
directed them to call upon him, with full convic- 
tion of his greatness and in uprightness of heart. In 
order to advance the honor of God, he sought to extend 
wisdom, virtue and good feeling around every where. 
He exhorted ignorant and wicked men and laid before 
them the most impressive motives to bring them to relin- 
quish their errors, follies, and vices. 









EXHIBITION OF HIS IMKTV. 099 

From love to God, lie also ever held the Scriptures 
and divine worship, in very great esteem. He de- 
lighted to speak of sacred and excellent things, and 
with pleasure resorted to the temple and the schools or 
the houses of prayer of the Jews, to teach his Father's 
truth, and call upon hin^ in the assembly. It grieved him 
to find the place set apart for the worship of God, dese- 
crated by things and business sinful and altogether op- 
posed to such worship, as is evident from the manner in 
which, on two occasions, he drove the buyers and sellers 
out of the temple. 

And then, unfavorable as were the circumstances 
in which he lived, with what a steady glow, did the feelings 
of devotion always blaze forth from his heart ! His piety 
was not a flickering flame, now reduced to cold embers, 
and anon bursting forth like some volcano at midnight. 
It was a steady, heaven-ward glow ; or if it ever seemed 
to blaze up brighter, it was when, from holding com- 
munion with his Father at the gate of heaven, he on a 
sudden found himself back in the world among vile 
sinners ; as when descending from the holy mount of 
transfiguration, he saw the multitude with the foaming 
and gnashing demoniac, come running to meet him, 
and groaning in himself, seemed to long for his own 
hallowed regions. 

Fix your eyes upon this example of piety set you by 
Jesus. You will find it widely different from all those 
which have ever been set you by men. Their examples 
are all more or less imperfect, and the more you examine 
them the worse you find them ; but this is perfect ; and 
the more you examine it, the brighter it shines, the more 
glorious it appears. 

18* 



210 THE VIRTUES OF JESUS. 



SECTION IV 



The zeal of Jesus in prayer. 

Among all who were in the habit of praying, of whom 
the Bible gives account, Jesus is the most distinguished 
and full of zeal. lie, who, as we have seen, has given 
us the best precepts in regard to prayer, and, in the 
Lord's Prayer, the best pattern to direct us in the forma- 
tion of our petitions, himself, as I have already hinted, 
held frequent intercourse with his Father, in prayer and 
heavenly contemplation. 

He often betook himself to solitary places, where, in 
perfect quiet, he could occupy himself with holy thoughts, 
and, without being disturbed, give himself away in prayer 
to God. The very last thing he did, just before entering 
upon his duties as a public teacher, was, to prepare him- 
self for the work, by withdrawing into the wilderness and 
there devoting sometime to fasting and prayer. As soon 
as he had heard of the beheading of John the Baptist, 
he retired into a desert place, as if to give vent to his 
grief for the loss of a dear friend, in prayer ; at least, we 
are expressly told, that after escaping from the multitude, 
which followed him into the desert, he went alone up in- 
to a high mountain to pray. Before he raised Lazarus 
from the dead, he was secretly engaged in prayer, — no 
doubt for the divine assistance, for he says: "Father, 
I thank thee that thou hast heard me." And you pro- 
bably all remember how that just before Judas and his 
company came upon him, in the dark and cold night in 



THE ZEAL OF JESUS IN PRAYEIt. 2 I 1 

which he was betrayed, he was engaged alone in the 
most earnest prayer. 

Such are some of the instances in which we are told 
that Jesus retired by himself and prayed. In looking at 
them, it is evident that he prayed in a way that was 
pleasing to God ; for, on more than one occasion was 
there a voice heard from heaven, saying: M This is my 
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." It is also 
evident, that he prayed from his very heart, and with hu- 
mility and confidence in God, and perfect resignation to 
his will ; for, at the close of each petition he uttered in 
the garden, though overwhelmed with agonies, he repeat- 
ed : " Not my will, but thine be done." And moreover 
we see that he prayed always, or in other words, perse- 
vered in prayer; and that for the performance of this du- 
ty, he chose, he delighted in solitude. 

Here, then, my young friends, you have the example of 
the Savior before you, in regard to prayer. Righteous 
and divine as he was, he felt the need of holy converse 
with God, of heavenly aid, and devoted much of his time 
to private supplication. Surely then, you, sinful and 
weak as you are, stand in need of the divine assistance, 
and should spend much of your time in secret prayer. 
That you unite with others, in asking God's blessing at 
meals, in family devotion morning and evening, and in 
public worship, is well ; but this is not enough. Your 
other religious exercises, indeed, will not be of much ad- 
vantage to you, if this duty be neglected ; for genuine 
public worship is but the united flame of many hearts 
that have been set on fire in the closet. 

Take a lesson then from the example of your Savior, 
in this respect. Let not the noise and bustle of sportive 
or gay and dissipated company, consume all your time. 



212 THE VIRTl IS <1 JB81 

Cheerful, indeed, you may be; but you should also learn, 
even in your youth, to be thoughtful and meditative. 
Twice, at least, every day, should you retire to your room 
or some other place, where you will be free from inter- 
ruption, and there give yourselves up to serious reflection 
upon )our lives, and to holy converse with God, fixing 
all your thoughts and feelings upon divine things, arid 
laying open your hearts to the most sacred influences of 
the Holy Spirit. Nor should you be hasty in performing 
this duty. Remain at the altar if you can, until you feel 
heaven glowing in your souls ; at least, until you have for 
a time thoroughly abstracted yourselves from the world. 

And do you ask what you shall pray for ? It is a poor 
question for a sinner to ask, surrounded too as he is by 
a world of sinners like himself. Have you forgotten the 
Lord's Prayer ? Pray God to sanctify your heart, pre- 
serve you from all evil, and guide you into all that is 
good and true. Pray for your parents, teachers, broth- 
ers and sisters ; for your sick friends ; and for all whom 
you know to be in want. Pray God for strength to ena- 
ble you to perform all. your duties; particularly when 
you have any very solemn and arduous work before you, 
as did Jesus before he began to teach. Pray for the ad- 
vancement of the Redeemer's kingdom and for the con- 
version of all the world. 

And believe me, — the early and continued exercise of 
secret prayer, will have a most happy effect upon you, 
especially in making you more and more the children of 
God. Through its means you will gradually learn to 
draw near to him in childlike simplicity and confidence, 
and, from your very heart, to acquaint him with all your 
wishes and troubles, just as you come to your parents 
and tell them of every thing that bears upon your minds ; 



TRUE PRAVr-U BRING 8 TRWQIII.U TV. 2J3 

and in exact proportion as yon arc able to do this, you 
will find it at all times, a source of tranquillity and un- 
failing joy. On this point a wise and excellent man has 
said : <k Whenever I feel pressed with trouble or inclined 
to be restless and uneasy, I retire in secret and pour out my 
complaints before God ; and how it is I know not, but at 
the close of my prayer, I find myself as calm and cheer- 
ful, as if nothing had been the matter." The same ef- 
fects of prayer have often been experienced by others. 
Rely upon this testimony and look for similar results. 
God is ever faithful to his promise. The prayer of the 
honest heart, — of one who looks for every thing, through 
Jesus Christ, at the hand of God, and relies with unwa- 
vering confidence upon the pledge of the Father in hea- 
ven, — the prayer of such an one, will never be left unan- 
swered. 

God does not indeed always give us the precise 
thing we ask for ; but he gives us something far bet- 
ter, — tranquillity of mind, accompanied with wisdom to 
avoid difficulties, patience to endure them, or else cour- 
age and strength to conquer them, and, above all, with 
glorious hopes of unutterable blessings in the world to 
come. How indeed could God, consistently with his 
goodness, gratify all our requests ? We often go to him 
with the most unreasonable complaints, and ask him for 
things, which it would be of the greatest injury for us to 
receive, — which would plunge us indeed into the most in- 
tolerable misery. 



214 THE VIRTUES OF JESUS. 



SECTION V. 



The zeal of Jesus in praise. 

Jesus has not only set us an example in praying to 
God, but he has also set us one in giving him praise. 
He spent his whole life in glorifying God in deed and in 
truth. He also embraced every opportunity that present- 
ed, to utter the praises of God and give him thanks, in 
public. When he fed the five thousand, with five barley 
loaves and two fishes, and a year afterwards when he fed 
the four thousand with seven loaves and a few small fish- 
es, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and gave God thanks 
for the food. When he partook of the last supper with 
his disciples, and after his resurrection, when he sat 
down at the table with the two disciples of Emmaus, he 
also gave God thanks for what was before them. When 
he was about locall Lazarus forth from the grave, he gave 
thanks to his heavenly Father, for having heard his pray- 
er for a blessing and for divine strength ; and once we 
are told that he and his disciples praised God, by uniting 
together in singing a hymn. 

Is not the example of Jesus, in this respect, very much 
overlooked ? Is not ingratitude or withholding from God 
the praise that is justly his due, one of the crying sins of 
the world ? That we should call upon God when in dis- 
tress, may be deemed natural. Many a sailor who never 
prayed in fair weather, has fallen upon his knees in the 
storm. When, however, God has answered our prayers, 
how apt we are to forget him ! " You are cursing and 




THE ZEAL OF JESl.'S I \ PRAISE. 215 

swearing now," said a captain to one of his hands ; " but 
last night I saw you upon your knees?" " True," re- 
plied the tar ; " but then the storm raged around us, and 
we were expecting every moment to go to the bottom; 
now, the sea is smooth, there is a pleasant sun, and our 
vessel is riding safely at anchor." We receive the gift, 
and the Giver is forgotten. What must be the character 
of the hearts of persons naturally so ungrateful ? Ingrat- 
itude to an earthly benefactor is denounced as marking 
the basest of wretches ; and yet how many thousands 
there are, habitually ungrateful to God ; who, like the 
tiger in his cage, snatch at the gift, and seem to set 
the Giver at defiance ! 

That we all have reason enough to feel grateful to God, 
who can question ? Look upon the meanest and unhap- 
piest persons that tread the earth. A few hard cases to 
a finite mind, will be discovered, — some, in regard to 
which all that we can do will be to say : ' Even so, Fa- 
ther, for so it seemeth good in thy sight.' In general, 
however, we shall find the vilest and apparently the most 
unhappy, surrounded with mercies, and see blessings 
flowing in upon them from their Creator, in ceaseless 
Ftreams. 

Have you, my dear readers, hitherto been in the habit 
of murmuring at your hard lot, and hence, of indulging 
in ungrateful feelings towards God ? Pause for a few 
moments and indulge in rational thought. You have al- 
ways looked upon the bright side of your own characters 
and the dark side of your mercies. Just reverse the ta- 
bles. Think how unworthy you are to receive any thing 
from God. Recollect that you have received every thing 
from him, — life, health, reason, parents, friends, the gospel, 
hopes of immortality, and in short, blessings too many to 



21G THE VIRTUES OF JESTS. 

be enumerated. As your sins and mercies pass in re- 
view before you and you call your ingratitude to mind, 
let crimson blushes come over your faces in the presence 
of God, while, excited by the example of Jesus to deep 
repentance, you take up your neglected harp and string 
it anew, to sing his praise. And having once opened 
your hearts to such an emotion, never suffer it again to be 
closed. Praise your Creator for the past. Praise him 
for all the new favors you receive from his hands. Nev- 
er forget to thank him when he saves you from danger 
or restores you to health. Praise him for keeping your 
parents, brothers, and sisters from disease and want. 
Praise him for guarding them against evil, for healing 
them of sickness, rescuing them from trouble, and sor- 
row, and granting them cheerfulness and repose. De- 
pend upon it, you will thus praise God, if you are truly 
his children. The man who has nothing like gratitude 
to God in his heart, is not a Christian ; and if there be 
gratitude in the heart, it will of course flow forth. 

And, my young friends, it seems to me, that if you 
wish fully to imitate the example of Jesus, in this respect, 
that you will also wish to learn to sing, in order that you 
may praise God by singing, as Jesus and his disciples 
did. For what other purpose did God give us musical 
voices than that we should sing his praise ? And be as- 
sured that if you feel truly grateful to God, you will feel 
quite happy, for gratefulness is a very happy feeling. 



HIS DILIGENCE. 



217 



SECTION VI. 

The diligence of Jesus. 

One feeling seemed constantly to pervade the soul of 
Jesus, while he was in the world : " My Father has 
work for me here, and I must attend to it. He sent m« 
hither, not to do my own will, but his ; and it is my meat 
and my drink to do it." 

Accordingly, the Savior was always diligent. Every 
moment of his life was passed in useful labor. In his 
youth and the private part of his muturer years, he help- 
ed his parents in their domestic affairs. Having entered 
upon his public ministry, he exerted himself early and 
late to do good and serve others, and was all the time 
travelling from place to place, healing the sick by the 
way and raising the dead, or else engaged in teaching his 
disciples, reproving and exhorting the Jews in parables 
and other ways, or in carrying on discussions with fierce 
opponents. His very nights were often spent in secret 
and earnest prayer to God, instead of taking that repose 
which wearied nature demanded. While others slept he 
prayed, and no doubt prayed for those that were asleep. 
So many were his labors, that it is declared at the close 
of John's Gospel, that if they were all written out with 
particularity, the world itself would be as it were unable 
to contain the books. They ended only with his dying 
exclamation : " It is finished." 

Here, in the example of Jesus, see confirmed what I 
said to you on the parable of the laborers in the vine- 
yard, — that, in proportion to your years and strength, you 

19 



218 THE VIRTUES OF JESUS. 

should be diligently engaged in something that is useful. 
God has provided for his rational creatures in the early 
and helpless part of life. Beyond this period, however, 
he leaves them, under the direction of his providence, to 
take care of themselves, — to acquire strength by exercise, 
wisdom by thinking, riches by labor, friends by friend- 
ship, and heaven by following Jesus Christ. Indeed, 
he himself has a large vineyard here on earth, in which 
he expects us all to labor ; and the same feeling should 
pervade our souls in this respect, as did that of Jesus : 
* I must be doing his work.' 

Think not, however, that his plans and operations will 
suffer, if you feel disinclined to labor in his vineyard. It 
is your privilege to do so. You will fare better for it, 
even in this world. When death comes, you will be able, 
like Jesus, to bow and say, * My work on earth is finish- 
ed ;' and in the world to come, you will receive a glori- 
ous reward. But if you are determined to remain 
idle, — be assured, as the dying Reinhard remarked, ' that 
God is too perfect in wisdom to suffer his plans and op- 
erations to depend upon imperfection. 5 He can well get 
along without you. * He does not need either the work 
of man, or his own gifts. He is a king, and has only to 
speak the word, and thousands will spring to life, ready to 
post without rest, overland and sea, in executing his will.' 



HIS LOVE OF IPRK.HTNESS, TRUTH, ETC. 219 



SECTION VII. 



The uprightness of Jesus, his love of truth and frankness. 

The virtues of uprightness, love of truth, and frank- 
ness, which are of the utmost importance, and were all 
taught by the Savior, are also virtues which he ever put 
in practice. From his mouth there never came forth a 
false or disguised word ; in conduct he never showed 
himself deceptive. He spake and lived, according to his 
convictions of what was right and what was wrong, 
whether in private or in public ; whether enjoying the 
countenance of his friends, or frowned upon by his ene- 
mies. 

Conspicuous was he in all these respects in his inter- 
course with the Pharisees. He spake and acted before 
them as he thought was right, notwithstanding their mur- 
murs. When he addressed them, proud and impious as 
they were, he always did it, with the utmost candor and 
correctness of feeling, — revealing to them their wicked- 
ness and hypocrisy, without maintaining in this regard, 
the least reserve. The parables which he often employ- 
ed, are not exceptions to this remark. He used them for 
the very purpose of obtaining a more certain access to 
the heart. 

It is true, that by means of these traits of character, 
he was constantly creating enemies ; but he deemed the 
truth of far more importance than every thing else ; and 
he looked upon it as his business to make it known at all 
times and defend it, both in his words and actions. 



220 THE VIRTUES OF I 

Neither the power and authority of those before whom he 
lived and spake, nor the dangers, persecutions, tempta- 
tions and threatenings to which he was exposed, could 
deter him from his duty in these respects. 

Lovely and divine example, but one now rarely to be 
found among either old or young, to any great degree of 
perfection ! Jesus has indeed told us not to fear man, 
who can only kill the body, but to fear him who can de- 
stroy both soul and body in hell ; but many heed it 
not. The Savior's words, too: " Be ye wise as ser- 
pents and harmless as doves," are made to mean such 
wisdom and harmlessness as the old Serpent evinced, 
when, by intrigue and hellish guile, he persuaded Eve to 
eat of the forbidden fruit, assuring her it was quite a 
harmless offence, and that she should not surely die. 
And yet how peaceful and happy is the life and the death 
of him, who always acts like Jesus in this respect ! Me- 
thinks it will be honor and bliss enough to have him say 
of us, as he did of Nathaniel : " Behold an Israelite, in 
whom there is no guile l" 

Clear as Siloe's limpid fountain, 

Jesus, let my heart be found ; 
Firm in God. as yonder mountain, 

While the ocean beats around. 

Thus didst thou, dear blessed Savior, 

Feel on earth, the truths control. 
And in frankness of behavior, 

Speak the meaning of thy soul. 

Oft beguiled, I'll still remember, 

Like my guileless Lord to live, 
Cool in love the burning ember, 

And tho' dying pray, "Forgive." 



HIS TENDER LOVE FOR MANKIND. 221 

Guileless is the world of glory, 

And the heavenly 6ky serene ; 
Not a traitor young or hoary, 

Walks the fadeless fields of green. 



SECTION VIII. 



The love and tender compassion of Jesus for mankind. 

Jesus showed himself the greatest friend to the chil- 
dren of men, that has ever lived on earth. He entered 
the world for the sole purpose of benefiting them. He 
wished to make them wise, pious, cheerful, and eternally 
happy. He came not to be served, but to serve others, 
and labor for the good of many, and lay down his life as 
a ransom for them in death on the cross. Accordingly, 
every thing he did, bore marks of the kindness and good- 
ness of his heart. We find him on all appropriate occa- 
sions, seeking, by admonition and instruction, to bring 
men to do right, to feel benevolent, obliging, and com- 
passionate towards each other, and to render them truly 
happy. 

In him the sorrowful, in particular, always found a 

comforter rich in love, and the suffering a helper ready to 

impart relief. To the blind he gave sight, to the deaf 

hearing, to the dumb speech, and to the lame the use of 

19* 



222 THE VIRTUES OF JESUS. 

their limbs. He cured all manner of diseases and com- 
plaints, — the palsied, the leprous, and the epileptic, or 
persons afflicted with the falling sickness and the most 
frightful spasms. He dispelled the sorrow of the poor wid- 
ow for an only son, and dried up the tears of the mourn- 
ing Jairus for an only daughter. There were indeed 
no exception^ to his bounty. 

He regarded neither religion, rank, nor nation. The 
simple fact that help was needed and earnestly requested, 
was the only thing that he took into consideration. To 
all such, whether Jews or Gentiles, the tender language 
of hi^ heart was : ' Come to me, all ye who are afflicted 
and weighed down with sorrow, especially with the bur- 
den of your sins, and I will receive you, revive you, 
and give you rest.' The Samaritans, the Canaanitish 
woman, and the Roman centurion, alike found in him a 
physician, a helper, and a kind benefactor. — He never 
did any thing to injure. All his miracles were of a be- 
nevolent tendency, and were expressly wrought for the 
confirmation of faith, the comfort of the sorrowful, the 
restoration of the sick, or the rescuing of the miserable, 
from their sorrows and plagues. 

No, — the blessed Savior never made any exceptions in 
the conferment of his favors, but those that he was oblig- 
ed to make. He never was known to injure any one. 
His love was most tender and unbounded. It flowed forth 
to all mankind. When I think of this, I cannot forbear 
asking why the Jews and Romans treated him so unkind- 
ly ; nay, I cannot help asking why he is so unkindly treat- 
ed by multitudes among us ; for they speak of him and 
revile his name, as though he were the most cruel and 
wicked of beings. 



HIS IMPARTIALITY. A PRAYER. 223 

Prayer. 

Jesus, my Lord and my Savior, how full of kindness 
and friendship wast thou while on earth ; how very com- 
passionate, and ready to help, and serve others ! Grant 
me also a disposition early to begin to help and serve 
others, as thou didst. Feeble indeed at present, are my 
means and strength for such duties ; but mercifully grant, 
that I may ever find within me as great willingness and anx- 
iety to do good as I have opportunity and ability. Never 
leave me to ridicule those who are simple, or injured in 
mind, or lame, or in any way defective in body, — as wicked 
children often do. Whenever I see such persons, may I 
call to mind, what kindness they received from thee. Help 
me to pray for them, and show myself compassionate to- 
wards them, as thou didst. Aid me also in giving thee 
thanks for the many favors, which, without any service or 
worth of mine, thou hast shown to me, but not to them. 
Preserve me, blessed Lord and Savior, preserve me from 
all hardness of heart and cruelty of disposition, — from 
envy, hatred and injustice. Give me a mind and heart, 
like thine, ready to do good to every one, and to rejoice 
over the prosperity of others. 



224 THE VIRTUES OF J I 



SECTION IX 



The humility of Jesus. 

From his very childhood, Jesus was conspicuous for 
the great virtue of humility. He lived in the family of 
his parents, who were poor and humble in life, altogeth- 
er unknown, and concealed from the world. When af- 
terwards he came forward in public, as a teacher of man- 
kind, he did it, without ever making any boastful display 
of his power and greatness. He often performed his 
benevolent works, his miracles, in private, and forbade 
those whom he had aided, from saying any thing of the 
kindness he had shown them. He associated with those 
who were poor, humble in life, and treated by the proud 
Pharisees with contempt, showing towards them a heart 
overflowing with love. On the last evening of his life, 
he did to his disciples, what the meanest servants of the 
family were, in other cases, obliged to do for guests, — 
he washed their feet, thus teaching them by this his hum- 
ble conduct, how they were to associate together and per- 
form all manner of services for each other, without any 
pride, — with the utmost readiness of heart. And here, 
too, I might point you to the indignities to which he sub- 
mitted, when betrayed by Judas, and led away to Pilate's 
Judgment hall, and standing before Herod, — how he was 
falsely accused, and mocked and spit upon, and finally 
crucified, — and all, without uttering a murmuring word. 
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep 
that is dumb before her shearers, so he opened not his 



HE WAS A TRUE FRIEND. 22.*> 

mouth. And forget not, the wonderful humility he ex- 
hibited in coming down from his glorious abode in the 
heavens at first, to lead such a life and to submit to such 
a death. O I cannot help thinking how humble those 
ought to be who profess to be like him ! 



SECTION X, 



Jesus a true friend, 

Jesus was very susceptible of friendship, and had a few 
choice spirits with whom he associated. There was a 
family which he loved and often visited, at Bethany. Of 
this family Lazarus was taken sick and died. How 
tenderly was Jesus affected when he heard of the death 
of this friend ; how he groaned in himself and wept as 
he drew near to the grave to raise him from the dead, 
and saw Mary and the Jews drowned in tears ! Doubt* 
less other sorrows pressed heavily upon him and weighed 
down his spirits ; but who can question that he was in real 
grief for his friend ! His very enemies present, ex* 
claimed, as they looked upon him : <( Behold, how he 
loved him !" 

The susceptibility of Jesus for friendship, however, is 
particularly evident from the intercourse he hejd with 



226 THE VIRTUES OF JESUS. 

his disciples. Of these he had chosen twelve, to be his 
intimate associates ; and to them he ever showed himself 
a firm and sincere friend. In their absence he defended 
them against unjust accusations. With the utmost frank- 
ness and honesty of heart, he gave them the best of coun- 
sel and instruction. lie never flattered them, but always, 
with impartiality, told them their faults, in regard to 
which, he had to treat them with much lenity and for- 
bearance. One of them in particular, on account of his 
close resemblance in tenderness of disposition to him- 
self, was his favorite, and called the beloved disciple. 
You remember his name was John. He sat next to his 
master, and as all reclined upon their left elbows, lean- 
ed upon his breast, at the last supper. 

And how very much was Jesus grieved, that Judas 
had formed the hard-hearted and wicked purpose of be- 
traying him, and was thus about to plunge himself into 
the greatest misery ! Many were the affectionate hints 
he gave him in order to bring him to relinquish his base 
design. With what kindness too and seriousness did he 
warn Peter not to suffer himself to be led astray and be- 
come unfaithful, by the ardor of his feelings! And when 
Peter denied him, how careful was he, not in the very 
moment in which Peter did it, but at the most proper 
time, to remind him of his guilt, by a reproving look. 
And how readily too he forgave Peter his sins as soon as 
he confessed them and wept over them in true repent- 
ance ! 

And then the susceptibility of Jesus for friendship, 
appeared in the readiness with which he assisted his 
friends when they were in want, and undertook to comfort 
them in their sorrows and cares. Here let me refer you 
again to the death of Lazarus. With what promptness 



A FRIEND TO ALL WHO LOVE HIM. 227 

did he hasten, as soon as circumstances would permit, to 
the consolation of the sisters of the deceased ! On the 
last evening of his life, he gave his disciples a farewell 
discourse, full of tenderness and the most heartfelt friend- 
ship. As a friend near to death, he taught and consoled 
them ; and in a powerful and most solemn prayer, to his 
heavenly Father, he entreated him to take care of them, 
to stand by them, and to grant them his assistance. 

And need I tell you, dear youth, that Jesus has a friend- 
ship for all who love him, and a friendship strong, accord- 
ing as they resemble him in their hearts ? He himself has 
already told us so, in the most expressive language ; for 
do you not love your mother and brother and sister ? And 
yet Jesus told some who had just informed him that his 
mother and his brethren stood at the door desiring to 
speak with him, that whosoever should do the will of his 
Father in heaven, should be as dear to him as a mother 
or sister or brother. But let me also remind you, that 
you are now in an age in which the inclination to friend- 
ship begins to become more and more lively and warm. 

From Jesus then learn to cultivate a friendship which 
is wise and virtuous. Make choice of those persons for 
your friends who love God. Remain faithful to them un- 
til death. Bear with their weaknesses and defects. 
Never flatter them. When they think and do wrong, 
tell them of it, and endeavor to bring them to better 
thoughts and actions. Be at all times ready to help and 
serve them. Pray for them. Recognize their love to you 
with gratitude ; and when you come to die, commend 
them to Jesus Christ vour Lord and vour God. 



228 THE VIRTUES OF JESl 

SECTION XI. 

The love of Jesus for enemies. 

Mankind, to whom Jesus was sent by God, in order to 
save them and make them happy, were almost wholly his 
enemies, because they were wicked and had transgress- 
ed the commandments of his heavenly Father. He con- 
tinued, however, during his whole life, to love them with 
heartfelt love. He exerted himself incessantly, to preach 
to them true wisdom, and the fear of God in the heart, 
to procure for them the grace of God, and to render them 
eternally happy. And how much he had to suffer in the 
performance of his labors! He had no home. While 
the foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests ; the 
Son of man, as he himself tells us, found not where as a 
home, to lay his head. By the wicked people among 
whom he lived, he was sorely oppressed, persecuted and 
calumniated ; but he never retorted. Those who cen- 
sured him, never received censure from him in return. 
He on no occasion rewarded evil for evil. He meekly 
bore all the sorrows and vexations brought upon him by 
his opposers, and ever preserved the kindest and most 
tender feelings towards the nation which treated him 
with such cruel hostility. He healed their sick, he com- 
forted their sorrowful, and he taught their ignorant. A 
few days before his death, he burst out in tears over the 
city of Jerusalem as he caught sight of it from the top 
of Olivet, and thought of the misery that was coming 
upon it on account of its sins, and the sad destruction 
which hung over the heads of his enemies. I have more 
to say to you upon this subject, but shall say it in the 
next section. 



HIS LOVE AND CONFIDENCE IN GOD. 229 



SECTION XII. 



Jesus in his sufferings and death. 

From what I have now said, dear youth, you see how 
good and holy was the life of Jesus Christ our Savior, 
Take now, into more particular consideration, his con- 
duct during his sufferings and in death, and you will be- 
come acquainted with the divine virtues that he exhibit- 
ed, during the whole of his life upon earth, in all their 
greatness and dignity. 

I. Look at his love and confidence in God. 

He hrunk not for a single moment even in death, 
from obedience to his heavenly Father. He well knew 
that the most unspeakable sufferings awaited him at Je- 
rusalem ; and yet, in the performance of duty, he vq| u- 
tarily went up thither. They came upon him, weighing 
down his tender frame ; but not a murmur did they draw 
forth from his mouth ; no signs of impatience did they 
cause him to exhibit, nor any want of confidence in God. 
Firm in spirit and perfectly resigned to the divine will, 
we find him kneeling in ardent prayer, in the midst of 
the fearful onset of the powers of darkness, and praying 
too from his very heart, — in sincerity and in truth. ' (> 
my Father,' he exclaims, going away alone three times 
and casting himself upon the cold ground, repeating tht 
same words, — ' O my Father, if it be possible, let this 
cup pass from me, but yet not as I will, but as thou will 
If, according to thy wise counsel, I must drink it, thy 
20 



230 JESUS IN HIS LAST SUFFERINGS. 

will be done.' When at length a dark cloud seemed to 
hang midway between him and God, intercepting every 
ray from the divine countenance, his language was not 
that of disappointed hope. He was not thrown into de- 
spair. It was evidently with feelings of filial resignation 
and confidence, though as a sorrowing and deserted 
child, he cried out : " My God, my God, why hast thou 
forsaken me." And finally, when at last he tasted of 
the cup of vinegar, handed in cruel mockery to quench 
his dying thirst, — hid as God's face had been, — we hear 
him saying with a loud voice : " Father, into thy hands 
I commend my spirit." 

Wonderful example of holy love and confidence, in the 
most trying circumstances ! It ought to make us asham- 
ed of our coldness and indifference in prosperity, and 
furnish us with strength and confidence, in the hour of 
adversity. How was the Redeemer tempted and tried 
and agonized, without shrinking or wavering for an in- 
stant ; but we, poor creatures, though he has engaged 
to be with us, fly from the first appearance of danger, or 
meanly capitulate with the enemy — Cannot watch and 
pray with the Savior one hour ! 

II. Look at the gentle and affectionate conduct of Jesus, 
in his last hours of sorrow, towards his enemies. 

He had long seen that he should be betrayed by Ju- 
das, and as a friend, in one way and another, often given 
him the kindest hints as to the subject, and gently 
warned him to relinquish this purpose. He even knew 
this disciple to be, at this very time, full of the intention 
of betraying him, and thinking of nothing but how to 
seize him and deliver him to the Jews. And yet with 



HIS GENTLE CONDUCT TO HIS ENEMIES. 231 

all tlie meekness imaginable, he met him at the last sup- 
per, condescended to wash his feet, as he did those of 
the rest of his disciples, and to give him other affection- 
ate hints. lie was even heard to groan in spirit as he 
spake of what was soon to take place ; while by the very 
gentleness of his conduct, it was made evident, that, so 
far from being angry, his heart was overflowing with 
grief at the thought, that one of those with whom he had 
so long associated, was, by acting such a wicked part, 
about to ruin himself forever. And when from the ago- 
nies of the garden, he arose to meet the traitor and his 
attendants, and, receiving from him the salutation of 
kindness and love, was delivered into the hands of the 
Jews, it was without uttering a single reproachful word. 
1 Friend, wherefore art thou come? Betrayest thou, Ju- 
das, the Son of man with a kiss?' This was the gentle 
language that flowed forth from his lips. 

The band of men and officers by whom he was seized, 
were confounded at the very words : / am he, — he whom 
ye seek, and sunk down in terror to the ground. And 
yet he did not avail himself of their confusion, to injure 
them, or to effect his escape. It was only necessary for 
him to speak the word, and myriads of angels would 
have descended from heaven to his assistance and the ut- 
ter destruction of his enemies. And yet he availed him- 
self not of this power ; he returned them not evil for evil. 
He submitted to them without resistance. He told Pe- 
ter to do them no injury, and healed the ear of the servant 
Malchus, which this disciple had wounded with his 
sword. , He was falsely accused and was calumniated, 
as well as mocked and scourged and spit upon, and, in 
ridicule, clothed with a purple robe and crowned with 
thorns. Even after he was nailed to the cross, he was 



282 jEsrs in his last sufferings. 

railed at and covered with taunts and reproaches. And 
}< t, wonderful example of meekness! he never showed 
the least appearance of anger in return, towards those 
who thus abused him. On the contrary, he retained to- 
wards them, a soul full of gentleness and love, and in 
reply to their hitter sarcasms, was only heard to breathe 
forth the prayer : " Father, forgive them, for they know 
not what they do." 

III. And finally, lit me ask you to look at the filial love 
which Jesus showed in his last moments, for his mother. 

He might surely have been excused from exercising 
very particular care on her account, at this dreadful hour, 
and have trusted her in the hands of his beloved disciple, 
without laying upon him any express injunction, in her 
behalf. He had ever honored his parents, and who in 
this case would have thought the worse of him ? But he 
is not satisfied to do so. He does not forget her, nor fail 
to make particular provision for her future wants. And 
in how natural, brief and expressive a manner does he 
do it ! She and the beloved John are standing together 
at the foot of his cross. He discovers them. " Wo- 
man, " says he, " behold thy son ;" and to the beloved 
disciple : " Behold thy mother." John enters at once 
into all the meaning of the language. From this moment 
he takes care of her as his own mother, and has her to 
live with him in his own house. 

Widely different from this conduct of our Savior is the 
manner in which many a youth treats his parents, when 
they become old and feeble. Worn out perhaps with the 
cares and watchings they have gone through with, for 
their children, they now too often receive from them at 



THE LOVE HE SHOWED FOR HIS MOTHER. 333 

best, nothing but indifferent looks and expressions. The 
father stoops with age, leans trembling on his staff as he 
walks, and gropes with blindness, and therefore his 
youthful son cannot endure him. The grey-headed, 
palsied, and perhaps childish mother, has also become a 
burden. They go mourning down to their graves. 
Their son has forgotten that he was once a child, and al- 
so all the follies for which he has received their forgive- 
ness ; or perhaps he is longing for the paternal estate, 
and this avaricious desire has frozen up his soul. 

The widowed mother, in particular, — deprived of the 
companion of her youth, and left to finish the journey of 
life alone, — how often does she find her heart filled with 
daggers, by the conduct of children, who now think 
themselves delivered from parental restraints and at lib- 
erty to act as they please. Would to God that the laws 
of our land did not encourage such thoughts. For 
scarcely is the father laid in the grave, before the inex- 
perienced lad finds himself surrounded by giddy com- 
panions, whispering in his ears, that his mother can no 
longer hold him, and advising him to assert his rights. 

Thanks to God, however, the law of filial gratitude is 
still in force. ' Hear, my dear son,' said the dying and 
good old Tobias. ' the words of my mouth, and hold 
them fast in thy heart. Should the Lord take away my 
soul, having performed for me the rites of burial, contin- 
ue to honor thy mother, all the days of her life, ever mind- 
ful of the danger, care and pain she has had on thy ac- 
count.' Louder still is the language of the Son of God, 
in the example of filial love that he set us on the 
cross. And the grateful heart responds : 

" Yes, my dear mother, I will continue to honor thee. 
Just now, I thought I saw a tear starting in thy eye. 

20* 



234 CONCLUSION OF JESUS' LIFE ON EARTH. 

Why was it ? Didst thou call to mind what thou hast 
suffered for me in times past, and fear that perhaps I 
should prove ungrateful ? Thou hadst reason for such 
fears, for I have often hurt thy feelings ; but forgive the 
past, I have come to my senses and shall do so no more. 
In health will I stand by thee, in sickness, kneel at thy 
side and hang over thy couch, in death receive thy last 
breath; and, having buried thee, I will strew the flowers 
around thy grave. Fear not, my dear mother, but in me 
behold thy child, and weep and fear no more." 

My Mother. 

Often into folly straying, 

(Best of mothers,) have I grieved her ! 

Often heard her for me praying, 

Till the gushing tears relieved her, 

And she gently rose and smiled, 

Whispering, God will keep my child. 

She was youthful then and sprightly ; 

Fondly on my father leaning, 
Sweet she spoke, her eyes shone brightly, 

And her words were full of meaning ; 
Now, — an autumn leaf decayed, — 
I perhaps have made it fade. 

Well, whatever ills betide thee, 

Rueful for the past, I'll share, 
In thy sickness, watch beside thee, 

And beside thee, kneel in prayer. 
Best of mothers, on my breast 
Lean thy head and sink to rest. 



HIS RESURRECTION. 235 



STATION XIII. 



II. The conclusion of the life of jesus upon earth. 

The resurrection of Jesus. 

Had the Savior remained in his grave, we should not 
in reality have known what to think of him. We should 
even then indeed, have been obliged to love and honor 
him as a man of great wisdom and of a good heart, — as 
one who had done acts of benevolence to multitudes of 
the human race, led a blameless life, and suffered a most 
unjust and cruel death. But we should not truly know 
whether he were the ambassador of God and the Savior 
of men, as he solemnly gave himself out to be, and made 
his character known ; for then his declaration, that he 
should rise again on the third day, — a declaration by 
which his authority as such an ambassador and Savior, 
was to be confirmed, would have remained unfulfilled. In 
this case indeed, our faith would be altogether without 
foundation ; as Paul said to the Corinthians : ' If Christ 
has not risen from the dead, then your faith is in vain.' 

Jesus however has risen from the dead. People went 
to his tomb on the third day, and his body was not to be 
found there. Angels whom they there saw, told them 
that he had risen. A little before, there had been a 
great earthquake, in the midst of which a glorious per- 
sonage descended from heaven and rolled away the stone 
from the door of the sepulchre, when Jesus came forth, 
while the Roman soldiers who had watched around it all 



236 CONCLUSION Ol JESUs' LI IE ON EARTU. 

the night, trembled and became as dead men. Jesus too 
himself, a little while afterwards, made his appearance 
to those people who had come to see his corpse, He also 
made his appearance to a large number of others, partic- 
ularly to his disciples and intimate friends, and ate, drank 
and conversed with them, meeting them in their assemblies, 
especially on the Lord's day or the first day of the week, 
and working a great variety of miracles in their presence, 
for a period of forty days. Nobody who believes the 
Bible can hesitate for a moment to believe that Jesus 
has risen from the dead. 

Now God, by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, 
has given us a public proof, that Jesus was his beloved 
Son ; that he had accomplished the work of salvation 
agreeably to the divine pleasure, and finished the task for 
which he was sent into the world. This you yourselves, 
weak as you are in knowledge, can perceive ; for it is 
very evident that God would not have acted as a wise 
and holy being, if he had raised Jesus from the dead, 
without the hitter's having in reality been such a person 
as he pretended to be. 

We can now also readily perceive that every thing Je- 
sus taught, — whether about the present state of man, 
God's feelings towards him, the way of salvation, or a 
future state, — is true, is eternal truth. Has he declared 
our state by nature a ruinous one ? It is so. Has he told 
us that God so loved the world as to send his only begot- 
ten Son to save it ? It is not to be doubted. Has he point- 
ed to his bloody cross as the only means of salvation ? 
None can be saved who treat it with neglect. Has he 
told us that there is a hell of devouring flames for the 
wicked, and a heaven of eternal joy for the good ? How 
presumptuous then the wretch who dares gainsay him ! 



HIS ASCENSION TO HEAVEN. 237 

It is now also a matter of certainty that all the prom- 
ises and prophecies of Jesus will he fulfilled. Of this we 
can ask for no greater proof than the exactness with 
which his declaration has heen accomplished, that he 
should die, and on the third day, rise again. The very in- 
fidel, as soon as he meets the Savior coming forth from the 
tomb, all covered with the wounds he had received but 
three days before, and with the hole of the spear through 
his side into his very heart, must become a believer, 
and take hold of the prophecies and promises of this 
mighty one, as certainly to be fulfilled. In particular, 
there can now be no doubt that he will furnish those 
who truly ask him for it, with grace adequate to their 
weaknesses, temptations and difficulties ; and that, though 
the bodies of his saints crumble into dust, he will in the 
end raise them from the dead in more glorious forms, and 
receive them into his everlasting kingdom. 



SECTION XIV. 



The ascension of Jesus to heaven. 

The great and fundamental doctrine of the Christian 
religion, that Jesus was the Son of the living God and sent 
by him to save mankind, as well as the truth of what he 
taught and the certain fulfilment of his promises and pro- 



238 CONCLUSION OF JESUS' LIFE ON EARTH. 

phecies have indeed been unquestionably established by 
the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. All these, how- 
ever, also receive additional confirmation and certainty, 
from his ascension to heaven. 

He hac' commanded his disciples to go forth into every 
part of the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, 
assuring them that all who believed on him and professed 
his name, should be saved, but that all who did not, should 
be damned, and telling them in the most encouraging 
manner, that he would be with them and all who like 
them went forth to preach the Gospel, even to the end 
of the world. Having then led them out to a high part 
of the Mount of Olives, just on the borders of Bethany, 
he blessed them, and, before their eyes, ascended up 
into heaven. This sight together with what two angels 
told them, who appeared soon after, how that this same 
Jesus was to come again to judge the world, filled them 
with joy. They had no more doubts about the character 
of Jesus, the truth of his doctrines, and the object of his 
mission. They worshipped him, and then returned to 
Jerusalem, where they spent their time in the public, 
and social exercises of piety, visiting the temple contin- 
ually, and praising and blessing God. 

And, my readers, there can now remain no farther 
doubt, in the minds of any one, that Jesus did, in every 
point, accomplish his Father's will upon earth ; for a son 
who receives the highest reward from his father, has 
certainly conducted in the highest degree, according 
to the will of his father; and such a reward has Jesus 
received from his Father in heaven. % 

And now it is also indeed evident that the words of Je- 
sus are true, and that he will keep his promises, and 
see his prophecies fulfilled. His resurrection took away 






HIS ASCENSION CONFIRMS OCR HOPES. 239 

all our fears in these respects, but his ascension to heaven 
confirms all our hopes ; for he frequently declared before- 
hand, that he should return again to the glory and joy of 
his Father, from whom he came forth at first, to live and 
suffer for us on earth ; and to that glory and joy his dis- 
ciples saw him return. 

It is true we have lost his bodily presence from the 
world ; but he is still the friend of children, and by his 
Holy Spirit ever present with those that love him and 
keep his commandments ; and as to his bodily absence ! — 
He has only gone away, as he told his disciples, to pre- 
pare a place for his followers in order that at death, he 
may take them with delight to himself, to live and rejoice 
there with him forever, and share in the glory which his 
Father has bestowed upon him because of his perfect 
obedience. 

Now then let your faith be strong. Stand firm upon 
this everlasting rock. There is indeed a storm com- 
ing, and it will beat fiercely upon your habitation ; but 
here founded, it shall remain unshaken, while the un- 
believer's is demolished around you, or is swept away 
with the flood. Cheer yourselves also, as Christians, amidst 
the wickedness around you, in looking forward in confi- 
dence to the approach of a day of judgment, when the 
widow and the orphan shall have justice done them, and 
the tyrant be no more permitted to oppress. As certain 
as Jesus, after he had risen from the dead, ascended 
to heaven, so certain will he return again to this world ; 
and then we shall all have to meet him and hear our 
eternal doom ; then every thing that is now wrong, 
will be set perfectly right, and the wicked will be driven 
away like chaff before the wind. 



240 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

* That awful day will surely come, 
TV appointed hour makes haste, 

When we must stand before our Judge, 
And pass the solemn test.' 



SECTION XV. 



Concluding Remarks. 



I have now, my young friends, brought what I thought 
it worth while to say to you, about the Savior, and what 
I hoped would interest you, to a close. I have not at- 
tempted to give you a full par trait of his character. This is 
a task beyond the reach of a finite pencil. We might as 
well attempt to paint the sun with a coal. Indeed, it is not 
to be found short of heaven, and you must go there, in 
order to see it. I have only attempted to fix your eyes 
upon here and there a point in his likeness, as it was 
drawn and left for us by his apostles, making such re- 
marks as I felt might be profitable to you. 

Every thing I am sensible has been but imperfectly 
done. And yet if you have carefully read what I have 
written, you have formed some acquaintance with the 
virtues, the instructions, and of course, the character, of 
Jesus Christ. You have come to see that he was a mes- 



WHY DO ANY NOT LOVE THE SAVIOR ? 241 

Fenger from heaven, and that the object of his mission 
to this world, was a most benevolent one, — to make the 
human race wise and pious, and eternally happy. You 
have found him the best of teachers, the holy pattern 
of all that is good, the benefactor and Savior of all, the 
Son of God, — such a person as the earth never contained 
before ; and in short, just such a Savior as we need, and 
one in every respect worthy of our most ardent affection 
and hearty obedience. 

With such a person, I should think every body would 
fall in love, as soon as they become acquainted with him. 
I should expect a mere outline of his character and the 
object of his mission, to excite universal curiosity, and a 
bare rehearsal of his sojourn on earth, from the manger, 
to Gethsemane and Calvary, to bring the heathen to 
trample their idols in the very dust, and assemble all na- 
tions together and melt them down in tears of repent- 
ance, gratitude and holy affection, around his cross. 

And yet, within the sound of my voice, there are per- 
sons who have heard the whole story a thousand times, 
and remain perfectly indifferent to the whole. I enter 
into a family near by me, and there I find a child with 
whom his parents have labored and prayed in vain for 
years, to bring him to love this very Savior. I have only 
to walk out into the street a short distance, listening as I 
walk, in order to hear his name associated with every 
thing that is mean, and treated with the vilest abuse. I 
take up the memoir of Henry Martyn, and opening it, 
find the Mohammedan, blaspheming this lovely, this bene- 
volent person. In short, all the world over where he has 
ever been mentioned, if there is any one who is treated 
with abuse, it is this glorious Son of God, who, out of the 
purest compassion, laid aside the robes of his glory and 

21 



*^42 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

came down to this earth, to suffer and die for the salvation 
of its inhabitants. A few indeed love him ; but the hu- 
man heart in general swells against him with rancor, 
and often burns with the most unutterable hate. There 
are not only single individuals, but whole bodies of men, 
who have sworn to do all in their power, to blot out his 
very name from existence, and destroy the last remnants 
of his kingdom from among the children of men. 

The fact utterly astounds me. I know not what to 
think of it. I fancy I have mistaken the character. I 
return to my Bible and again peruse its sacred pages, 
pausing at every line and reflecting as I read. But there 
is no mistake. It is the very character I thought it. 
The compassionate Savior, the glorious Son of God, — it 
is he who is so much abused. I think all his history 
over, as foretold by prophets and found in the Gospels ; 
I examine the object of his mission, and the wants of 
those whom he came to save ; I come to the foot of Cal- 
vary, and pointing to his bloody cross, call upon all the 
sons of men to tell me, why such a person receives such 
treatment. If there be real accusations against his cha- 
racter, let them appear. Or will you unite with the Jews, 
and, without their plausibility of excuse, bring false wit- 
nesses to effect his condemnation and the justification 
of your own conduct ? Let me call upon those of my 
voung readers, in particular, who still refuse obedience 
and love to the Savior, and often are found treating him 
with gross contempt, to answer for this their conduct. 

I. You cannot despise the Savior because he is cruel. 

If the Savior were a cruel being, there would then be 
some excuse for you, for we are so made as to dislike 



JESl S IS NEVER CRUEL. 243 

cruelty. If we see a man oppressing an innocent child* 
we turn away from him with aversion. But then Jesus 
is not cruel. How is it possible to accuse one of cruelty, 
who has ever shown himself so kind and good to all the 
human race, — who so loved his very enemies as to lay 
down his life for their salvation ? On the other hand, 
did you ever hear of compassion and benevolence like 
his ? " Scarcely for a righteous man will one die . . . But 
God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we 
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. — He hath borne our 
griefs and carried our sorrows . . . He was wounded for 
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. 
The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with 
his stripes are we healed. 5 ' 

11 Believe that he, whose side 

Thy crimes have pierced with their rebellions, died 

To save thy guilty soul from dying 

Ten thousand horrid deaths, from whence 

There was no 'scape, there was no flying, 

But thro' his dearest blood's expense ; 

Believe, this dying friend requires 

No other thanks for all his pain, 

Than e'en the truth of weak desires, 

And, for his love, but love again : 

Did ever mis'ry find so true a friend ? 

It is a love too vast to comprehend.'* 

II. Your contempt of Jesus cannot originate in his not 
being long-suffering. 

If he were not long-suffering, so weak are we by na- 
ture and so slow to learn what is good, that there would 
then perhaps be some ground for the conduct of sinners 
towards him. If, after bestowing upon us a few compas- 



244 



I ON( " I. THING REMARKS. 



sionate glances, he turned away his looks of tenderiv 
and benevolence, and, without farther effort, relinquished 
us at once to our sins, — right as it would be for him lo 
do so, — there would then, at least in appearance, be 
something to justify the abuse every where heaped upon 
him. But this is not the case. Jesus is long-suffering. 
The very earth, had it a voice to speak, could cry out in 
testimony of his forbearance. 

Beautifully has the Savior himself illustrated this trait 
in his character, by the parable of the barren fig-tree. 
For three years bad it stood in a rich soil and received 
the greatest care ; and yet it remained barren. It is no 
wonder that, under these circumstances, the master of 
the vineyard, was minded to cut it down. He did not, 
however, do so. At the intercession of the dresser of the 
vineyard, lie was persuaded to try it a little longer. And 
thus the Savior deals with sinners. They have been 
fruitless for years, though growing in the very richest of 
soils and receiving the most ample attention. And yet, 
though he might well cut them down, he is easily per- 
suaded to try them a little longer, and hence, continues 
to let them stand. 

In proof, indeed, of the long-sufTering of Jesus, I may 
appeal to your own experience. It is probable that not 
an impenitent sinner will run his eye over this page, 
without being conscious, that, towards him in particular, 
the Savior has been very long-suffering. You have read 
the Bible, heard exhortations, listened to sermons, and 
witnessed the exit of beloved playmates, or companions 
in maturer life. The houses, churches, grave-yards and 
groves you have frequented, as well as innumerable mer- 
cies you have received, could all testify to the forbear- 
ance towards you, of the Savior. 



JESUS NEVER FAILS IN LONG-SUFFERING. 445 

Some of you have experienced the severe trial of los- 
ing a dear parent. You can call to mind the words 
of a dying mother and all the solemnities of her closing 
scene, — how she clasped your hand, entreated you to be- 
come good, and prayed for you. M O my child," she 
said, u do let me meet you in heaven." And then you 
kneeled down at her bed-side, wept, promising never to 
forget what she said, and resolved to be good. She heard 
your vow, and died contented because she heard it. 
Poor mother ! The grass and the wild flowers have 
grown up on her grave, and she is thought of no more. 
Her child has forgotten her. You have neglected her 
words. You have broken the solemn promise you made 
her, — to endeavor to meet her in heaven. You have not 
yet repented of your sins and submitted to the Savior. 

And could I get at your secret history, I should doubt- 
less there find, that, under various calls of the Holy Spi- 
rit, you have all been often deeply affected, and been 
brought, retiring to your closets, solemnly to vow that 
you would be the Lord's. I should there read, that, from 
year to year, you have had the same feelings and repeated 
the same vows, while, as broken, they all stand recorded 
against you, in the book of God. Have such persons 
any room to complain of Jesus as wanting in long-suffer- 
ing and forbearance ? 

Could your sins become visible, you would see them 
rising in black, heavy columns towards the throne of 
God, calling for vengeance on your guilty heads; and 
yet, on the broad heavens I can now discover not a sign 
of vengeance against you. On the other hand, every 
thing is inviting. Almighty goodness and mercy cry, 
Forbear ; and at once the thunder called for by your 
sins, is stayed, and in dark clouds I see them roll off, 

21* 



216 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

permitting the Sun of Righteousness still to shine upon 
you, and try to melt down your frozen souls. Where did 
you ever hear of patience, and forbearing goodness and 
love like this ? 

III. You cannot reproach the Savior, because he is not 
ready impartially to forgive all who come to him. 

How miserable would be our condition, if Jesus were 
not ready to forgive every repenting sinner ; if he were 
partial in the distribution of his pardons ! Or if there 
were hope that he would forgive all penitents, some time 
or other, how much we might have to suffer, how cer- 
tainly should we sink down in despair, if, for years, he 
held himself at an awful distance from us, wrapt up in 
all the terrors of a holy God, keeping us in perfect agony 
and suspense, and often driving the trembling culprit 
away in utter despair from his presence ! Perhaps the 
sinner would then have some reason to treat Jesus with 
contempt. 

But it is not so. I have been telling you all along, 
how very ready he is to forgive. I have informed you 
that he came from heaven on purpose to obtain the par- 
don of sinners. I have repeated his words to you : 
" Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden" — 
those sweet, those precious words. I have told you of 
his tenderness and friendship and love, and of his last 
prayer, — yes, how he prayed for his murderers on the 
cross : " Father, forgive them." See you not how very 
ready he is to forgive? And then thousands that are 
now living, have found him ready to forgive. There are 
multitudes of Christians able at this very moment to tes- 
tify, that, as soon as they went to him, confessing their 
fins and throwing themselves upon his mercy, they felt 



JESt'S IS RF.ADY TO FORCIVE. 217 

their heavy burdens removed, and found relief from the 
horrors of a guilty conscience. They are also ready to 
assure you, that you too will be received, if you will only 
go to him. It lias never been heard of, that by him a 
sinner was ever rejected, though as vile as Manasseh, 
and as bloody as Paul. lie has pledged himself in the 
most solemn manner, to receive all who apply to him, 
and to receive them as soon as they come. 

IV. You cannot excuse your contempt of Jesus by show- 
ing that he has ever sought to injure you. 

That the Savior never sought to injure any one in per- 
son, while on earth, is a fact too obvious to every one who 
has read the Gospels, to need proof. If therefore he has 
ever sought to injure, it must be by the precepts and doc- 
trines which he inculcated. Now if it can fairly be 
shown that the Savior has ever in the least thing in this 
way sought to do prejudice to one of his Father's crea- 
tures, or if it can be made to appear, that the full opera- 
tion of any thing that he ever taught, will cause a single 
pang, though at the end of thousands of years, in all the 
universe of the perfectly obedif nt, why then my wonder 
at the abuse he receives from the wretches whom he 
came to save, will to some extent subside. I shall then 
drop my pen, admitting that the sinner has reason to de- 
spise the Son of God, — that the scoffs, sneers, and hos- 
tile efforts of infidels and atheists, have their foundation 
in a palliative measure of truth. 

Who however can prove or will dare assert, that any of 
the Savior's precepts or commands will ever result in the 
least degree unfavorably, to the perfectly obedient ? The 
infidel raves at times, and the apostate and atheist talk 
wildly ; but even these do I hear in their retired moments, 



248 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

paying homage to the wisdom, benevolence, and love of 
all the Savior's instructions, and fairly admitting the full 
tendency of every thing he has said and done, to promote 
perfect happiness. Voltaire pauses and reflects for a few 
momenta upon the precepts and doctrines of Jesus, and 
then he seems astonished at their simplicity, dignity, and 
benevolent characteristics. Napoleon opens the New 
Testament and, reading through the Sermon on the 
Mount, ' Expresses himself struck with the highest admi' 
ration at the purity, the sublimity, and the beauty of the 
morality it contains.' Rousseau seems enchanted with 
the precepts and doctrines of Jesus, and lost in his esti- 
mation of the character from which they must have ori- 
ginated. Hear what he says : 

" The holiness of the Gospel, is an argument which 
speaks to my heart, and to which I should regret even to 
find a good answer. Is it possible that a book at once so 
sublime and so simple, can be the work of men ? Is it pos- 
sible that he whose history it narrates was a mere man ? 
What sweetness, what purity in his manners, what 
touching grace in his instructions ; what elevation in 
his maxims ; what profound wisdom in his discourses, 
what presence of mind; what government over his pas- 
sions ! Where is there the man, who knows how to act, 
suffer and die, without feebleness and ostentation ? Soc- 
rates, dyin^ without pain, without ignominy, easily sustain- 
ed his personage to the end ; and if this easy death had not 
honored his life, people would have doubted, whether, 
with all his morality, he were any thing but a sophist. 
The death of Socrates, calmly philosophizing with his 
friends, is the easiest one could desire. That of Jesus 
Christ, expiring in agonies, injured, mocked, accursed by 
all the people, is the most horrible one could fear. Tru- 



TESTIMONY OF INFIDELS TO THE GOSPEL. 



249 



)y if Socrates lived and died like a philosopher, Jesus 
Christ lived and died like a God." 

Compare now the precepts and doctrines of Jesus 
Christ, in their exact adaptation to the entire condition 
and character of man and their legitimate effects, with 
all the systems, in these respects, that, in one way and 
another, have ever been introduced into the world. Be 
not hasty in performing the task. Collect together at 
your leisure, the Goran, the Vedas and the Shasters, 
the Zend-a vesta, the books of Confucius, and all similar 
productions ; carefully study them ; be sure that you un- 
derstand them ; read them in connexion with the Gos- 
pel, and compare them with it, step by step. Having 
done so, assume the garb of a pilgrim and travel from 
country to country, visiting the different communities 
where these several religious systems prevail in their 
greatest purity and produce their natural effects, taking 
also the best christian communities in your way. Hav- 
ing done so, suppose there are as many worlds as there 
are systems, arid that one of these worlds is under the full 
and direct operation of the Gospel, another under that of 
Mohammedanism, a third equally under Hindoo ism, and 
so on, until all your religions are exhausted. Cautiously 
note from year to year and from century to century, their 
different and legitimate tendencies. If they all contain 
something that is good, find out in each one of them, 
whether the good or the evil predominates. Carefully 
observe which of them possesses the power of elevating 
the mind, regenerating the heart, and, in the shortest 
space of time, filling the world where it prevails, with 
complete happiness, and having done so, strike the bal- 
ance. Need I tell you that you will find the result alto- 
gether in favor of the Gospel of Jesus Christ ? 



250 



rONCLUDJXG REMARKS. 



Look we at it as a system of truth, addressed to the 
reason of man and adapted to exercise his intellectual 
powers. It calls for our credence indeed, but only so 
far as it is supported by the most substantial evidence. 
Its author knew that he was addressing rational beings, 
and therefore he dealt with them as such, and rested 
every thing he said upon the most solid foundation. 
Does he claim to be the Messiah? He points to a long 
series of prophecies in support of his claim. Does he de- 
clare himself the Son of God ? He works miracles to 
show that his declaration is true, and, to leave no doubt 
on this point, causes himself to be transfigured in the 
mount before an ample number of witnesses. Does he 
present himself to the world as the Savior of sinners ? 
He conducts as their Savior, heals the sick, raises the 
dead, and shows that he has power over life and death, 
by yielding himself up to crucifixion, and coming forth 
on the third day from the tomb, exhibiting himself and the 
prints of his wounds to all that will behold them. What 
regard is here had to the nature of the human mind ; 
with what salutary exercises is it furnished, in the very 
act of receiving such a system ! 

And then, when you come to look into it as a system, 
to take it all in pieces and examine its principles and 
parts, comparing them together, how gigantic does it ap- 
pear, what a reach of thought does it every where exhib- 
it, how manifestly is it the production of God ! Here 
too, there is ennobling work for the human mind, labor 
that strengthens, enlarges, elevates, and refines. It was 
kind in the Savior to furnish us with such intellectual 
food. In so doing, he has taken one of the best steps to 
satisfy our terrestrial wants ; he has acted agreeably to 






THE SUPERIORITY OF THIl M8PBL. 251 

our natural constitutions, and laid a solid foundation tor 
our improvement. 

Very different from this is it, with all other religious 
systems. They come to me claiming to be received, 
but why ? I feel that I have a reason, and that this rea- 
son deserves respect. I call therefore for solid and sub- 
stantial evidence that they are the true ones. In answer 
to my call, I am furnished with obscure traditions, or un- 
certain histories of individuals, or various Ions: and re- 
diculous fables. I listen to them until filled with dis- 
gust I exclaim : " Is this the manner in which you treat 
the rational part within me ? I am certain that my Crea- 
tor would not thus serve me. The Gospel appeals to me 
as a rational being, and challenges my investigation of 
the evidence in its favor ; and it shines bright with truth. 
You pay no regard to my intellectual powers in this re- 
spect. You have nothing for my mind to feed on. You 
are clothed in black vestments, and constantly shrinking 
away in darkness. If I receive you, I feel that I 
must give up my intellectual powers, or sink down into 
puerility. " 

And then, when I come to look into these systems 
themselves, to take them in pieces as I did the Gospel, 
and examine their principles and parts, comparing them 
carefully together, how different do they appear ; what 
pigmies in size are they ; what shallowness of thought do 
they exhibit ! In short, I find nothing in them but in- 
sane fancies, or else fragments of truth, which I am cer- 
tain were stolen from the sacred fountain itself, and 
which are thrown together with little or no connexion, 
and often in the most utter confusion. What is there 
here to ennoble the mind, to strengthen, enlarge, elevate 
and refine the intellectual powers, or what, that can serve 



252 CONCLUDING REMARK 

as a foundation for future and lasting improvement? 
Can I hesitate under such circumstances to decide in fa- 
vor of the system of Jesus Christ ? 

And then, what an amazing advantage does the Gos- 
pel possess over all these systems, in regard to its effects 
upon the heart ! In the worlds where they prevail, I 
discover little or nothing but cruelty, superstition and 
hlood. Under the most hallowed influences of the svs- 
tem of Confucius, the mother strangles her new-horn 
babe. The Mohammedan, under the most searching op- 
eration of his creed, is fierce and bloody, and prowls 
through the desert for plunder, like a tiger for his prey. 
And as for Hindooism, — I find the temples of its devo- 
tees, all surrounded with the bones of its victims. Nor 
is it better with any of the rest of them. They all find 
and leave the heart swelling with the poison of sin, and the 
soul consuming away with dark forebodings and gloomy 
passions. It is the Gospel alone that begins at the seat 
of disease, — that works an internal cure, — that expels 
the foul spirit and clothes the maniac in his right mind. 
In spite of all his heathen physicians, he foams and raves, 
till the Son of God makes his appearance, and then the 
poor man's fever subsides, his mind becomes calm, and 
he sits down as gentle as a lamb, at the feet of his great 
Benefactor. How vastly in this respect, does the Gospel 
surpass all the other systems of religion ! How obvious- 
ly it accomplishes what they cannot ! How very saluta- 
ry it is in its operation, how beneficial in its tendency, 
how, in every respect, exactly what we need ! In a word, 
there is nothing here that can harm. To me it is per- 
fectly evident, that it never can, as long as time shall 
endure, be the cause of the least injury to a single one 
of the perfectly obedient to it, in all the universe of God. 



l v THE GOSPEL QUBEfi TBB HEART. 263 

What, the Gospel of Jesus ever prove injurious? Who 
dares hint such a thought ? Would it injure you, my 
readers, to love your parents), to show yourselves kind 
and obliging, and to fear and honor God, according to 
its hallowed requisitions ? Would it be any misfortune 
for you to have your sins cancelled, to have Jesus for 
your Redeemer, and to find in God au everlasting friend I 
Can you for an instant suppose it was to injure you, that 
the glorious Son of God forsook the heavens and came 
down and suffered and died ? 

And what if, as the last sun of life is setting, you should 
be able with holy resignation, like Dr. Watts, to say : 
" Thank God, I can lie down to night indifferent wheth- 
er I wake up in this world or the next ?" Suppose that 
at this trying moment you could really utter the words 
of the poet as your own, and sing forth from your very 
soul : 

"Jesus can make a dying bed, 

Feel soft as downy pillows are ; 
While on his breast I lean my head, 

And breathe my life out sweetly there ?' 

What if as the last blood retreats to your heart, you should 
even be constrained from the discoveries of celestial glo- 
ries, to burst out in the language of the dying Christian : 

(k Hark ! they whisper, angels say, 
Sister spirit, come away : . . . 
The world reeedes, it disappears — 
Heaven opens on my eyes, my ears. 
With sounds seraphic ring :" 

or, in the words of the dying Payson, be compelled to ex- 
claim : ' The Sun of Righteousness, has for some weeks 
22 



?T> i CONCLUDING REMARKS, 

been drawing nearer and nearer, growing larger and brigh- 
ter as he approached ! He now fills the whole hemisphere, 
pouring forth a flood of glory, in which I seem to float like 
an insect in the sunbeams, exalting, yet almost trembling, 
and wondering with unutterable wonder why God should 
deign thus to shine upon a sinful worm.' 

And would it injure the wicked inhabitants of this 
world any, to have them all become like Jesus, beat 
their swords into ploughshares, their spears into pruning 
hooks, and learn to live together in harmony and love, 
each sitting down under his own vine and his own fig- 
tree, without any to hurt, molest, or make afraid 1 What 
if they should every one of them in the end, die in 
peac ■, at the Judgment find themselves on the right 
hand, and, on hearing their final sentence, receive 
from the Lord of life himself a crown of glory, and enter 
into his immortal joy ? ' 

O tell me, ye neglecters of the Gospel, ye infidels and 
ye atheists, who despise the Son of God, why is it that ye 
thus treat him with contempt, or seek to destroy his king- 
dom ! To me, as I gaze upon him, he appears altogether 
lovely, infinitely desirable. Language fails me when 1 
would express his excellence. I am utterly lost in my 
admiration of his character. I would exchange worlds 
for his approving smile. I can only fall at hid feet and in 
the very depths of humility, cry out : " Let thy kingdom 
come, and thy glory fill the universe. " Alas ! I know 
it too well ; your neglect of the Gospel comes from your 
sin ; your contempt of the Son of God, is the overflowing 
jjall of a wicked heart. 

Well, if you persevere in such conduct, you will soon 
find yourselves engaged in a fearful conflict. The once 
suffering victim of Calvary, is not to be set at naught with 



BIMNMMP IN A FEARH r CONFLICT. 255 

impunity. All good men and angels arc on Ins <n\r 
The laws of creation are but the decrees of his will. All 
power is given to him in heaven and in earth. Such is 
the being whom you dare neglect, or treat with vile con- 
tempt. If you will not submit to him, you must conquer 
him, or be crushed, for he has sworn not to 1' sin- 

gle enemy unsubdued. Could you trample the sun and 
stars under your feet, command the myriads of heaven, 
and hurl the Deity from his throne, there would be some 
hope for you as a rebel. Then, as the savage Nero 
looked out upon the conflagration of Rome, or the haugh- 
ty Marius sat alone on the ruins of Carthage, you might 
contemplate the conflagration of a world, and sit alone 
amidst the ruins of the universe. But hast thou an arm 
like God ? Canst thou thunder with a voice like him ? 

You fly from the lion and the tiger ; you are struck 
with awe at the mighty waterfall, or the broad ocean, or 
the wide landscape around you, and far beneath your feet. 
You hide your face from the vivid lightning; you turn 
pale at the crashing thunder, and sink down in terror 
as the tornado sweeps along the earth. How then can 
you stand before the Son of God ! How will you bear 
the frown of him who speaks, and it is done, who com- 
mands, and it stands fast ! 

1 Poor sinners, little do you think 
With whom you have to do.' 

He whom you thus neglect or despise, is not to be light- 
ly so treated. Persisting in such conduct, you must, as he 
himself has told you, be crushed by him. To do so, is 
voluntarily to throw yourselves beneath his car or the 
broad wheels of the universe. Here you will receive in- 
jury, and what an injury, what a loss ; — and one too 
which you can ill-afford to sustain ! For your souls are 



256 COffCLUBNfG REMARKS. 

poor and needy. Life to thorn is also very desirai 
and death, such a death, very terrible. But judge 
from whence the injury comes. Decide for yourselves, 
whether Jesus and his Father's throne will not remain 
forever guiltless of your blood. 

Here I drop the subject, and leave my readers to their 
own reflections. Some will think T have expressed 
myself with severity : but is it possible in such a case to 
be severe beyond the truth ? What can be more unrea- 
sonable than the treatment which Jesus Christ receives 
from a majority of the human race? And his Gospel be- 
ing true, how infinitely dangerous, to perse veringly re- 
gard it with indifference or contempt? The remarks 
forced themselves upon me, as I was drawing my views 
of the Savior and his doctrines to a close. I could not 
forbear throwing out a few hints for the infidel and the 
atheist to digest, should they ever run their eyes over these 
pages. The train of thought under the fourth head, a 
little further developed, is one which years since saved 
me from the abyss of religious skepticism, and may, with 
the blessing of God, prove as beneficial to some others. 

God grant, however, my young friends, that in your 
case they may forever be uncalled for. Fain would I 
have you choose the direct road to the kingdom of hea- 
ven, rather than the one that lies through the wilderness 
of skepticism and infidelity, passing along the borders of 
hell. I have therefore taken you by the hand and endea- 
vored to lead you to the sacred fountain. We have been 
down together by short excursions, into the humble vale 
where it gushes forth. We have stooped to drink of the 
living water in all its purity. We have walked through 
green pastures along the banks of its flowing stream ; we 
have smelt the fragrance of the trees that grow there, 
and reposed ourselves in the cooling shade. Have you 






Tin: w.vri'R or lift., iikui:, DBRBAFTBR. 251 

rtilj been with me in th< ir^ions, t:i-ted of the 

living water, and enjoyed the pasture, the fragrance and 

the shade I Von will then hereafter remember the 
place, and as the panting hart return- t«> its favorite 
brook and wonted vale, return to this fountain and val- 
ley, aa those of ail others in which you most delight. 
Here you will be found taking your morning walks, and 
indulging your evening meditations, and here you will 
rejoice to spend the hallowed hours of the Lord's day. 
In all the varying scenes of life, whether of sorrow or 
of joy, you will find it a place of most delightful retire- 
ment and repose. In short, here you will pass your days, 
until you are removed from it, and placed in the rich val- 
ley watered by the broad river of life, where your Re- 
deemer and all his redeemed, dwell. 

And do you find the sacred fountain sweet and re- 
freshing to your thirsty soul, even in the little valley 
where it is to be found in this world ? What then will 
it be to have full access to the broad river of God, hard 
by where it flows forth from his throne, to walk the 
green pastures there, and partake of the immortal fruit ? 
How delightful the city watered by such a river; how sa- 
lubrious the air of such a clime; how sweet the fragrance 
of its groves ! 

Press onward, my young friends, in your knowledge of 
the word of God, and as you grow in years, make your- 
selves more and more acquainted with the Bible, the 
Gospel in particular and the life and doctrines of Jesus 
Christ ; and soon this fragrant grove, this salubrious air, 
this delightful clime and these living waters themselves, 
shall all be yours. You shall then be forever freed from 
sin and sorrow and death, and have holiness and peace 
and everlasting bliss. 

22* 



NOTES. 



I. PRINCIPAL AUTHORS QUOTED. 

Anna Maria von Scliurmanv, 240. She tried several times to 
give a written representation of Jesus ; but finally relinquished 
the Ittempt in despair, declaring it was like trying to paint the 
sun with a coal. Reinktrd's Plan, p. 1. Note. — Dick, 248. See his 
Future State, p.276. ed. N. Y. 1831.— Shakspeare, 166. See Beau- 
ties of, by Dr. Dodd, article " Forgiveness." — GclUrt, 146. He 
was a native of Haynichen in Erzgebirg, Saxony; professor at 
the University of Leipzig ; and died in 1769. He was a learned, 
pious, and universally beloved man, and especially esteemed for 
his spiritual Bongs. He is said, never to have engaged in poetical 
composition, without a devotional preparation of feeling and an 
effort to enjoy the state of mind lie intended to express. His 
hymns were esteemed by all sects. At the setting in of winter, 
one time, he observed a peasant, a stranger, drawing up a load of 
fire-wood to his door. On the poet's appearing at the window, the 
latter asked whether he were the gentleman who made those 
hymns. On receiving a reply in the affirmative, he deposited his 
load and immediately went off. Perceiving, when on his death- 
bed, that his illness took a serious turn, he raised his eyes to hea- 
ven and said : M Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick." Lausaer (or 
Christliches) Gcsangbuch, p. 622, and Boston Recorder, Jan. 30th, 
1833. — Ldvutir. 143. See Die Parabeln Jesu bearb. von Lisco, 
p. 254. He was a very pious and popular minister of Zurich, Swit- 
zerland, was distinguished as a physiognomist, and died in 1801. 
—H. Martyn, ii41 . See Memoir, p. 320, ed. Boston 1831.— Milton, 
218. See his Sonnets: "When I consider," etc. — Pa yson, 253. 
See Memoirs p. 408. first ed. — Quarks, 243. See his Emblems, 
Book 5th, " The Farewell." — Rcinhard, 818. See his Memoirs 
and Confessions, p. 111. Compare above under A. M. v. Schur- 
mann. — Rota 548. See his Oeuvres Completes, in one vol- 

ume, p. 2'XV Pans ' 36. — V. Rochow, the author referred to, 94. 
See his Versucl. eines Sc! albuchs, p. 94. 



M'i 260 

ii. TBI POXTEr. 

Feddcrsen in his little work has often quoted verses, sometli 
from an unknown source, and oflener still, referred to a little vol- 
ume of German Prayers and Hymns for children, by Sturm, 
verses on pp. 24,44,83,90, 111, 115, 120, 123, L28, 146, I"-, are 
imitations of some of those that I found in Feddersen. Th« hymn 
on p. 182 is an imitation, though not a very close one, of one re- 
ferred to in Sturm's work. That on p. 198, has several stanzas, in 
imitation of l - Was Gott Thut das,'' a most beautiful hymn, 
made by Sam. Rodigast, formerly Rector in Berlin, for a sick 
friend. R. died in 1708. See Journal of Humanity, April 19th, 
183*2. The first and third stanzas of the hymn on p. C>!2 are also 
imitations. See Journal of Hum. Jan. 3d, 1833. 



III. note, p. 249. 

The Jews have their Talmud, the Catholics their Legends of 
Saints, and the Turks their Sonnah, all three of them kindred 
works, made up chiefly of traditions and abounding in the grossest 
absurdities. And what shall be said of other heathenish traditions 
and religious conceits, such as are found among the Hindoos ? 
The Protestant has nothing but his Bible, and how inexpressibly 
noble in comparison ! See Curiosities of Literature, 1. 100. 



INDEX TO THE HYMNS. 



Amid the wilderness 

Believe that he whose side 

Clear as Siloe's limped fountain 

Close on the silent grave 

Cold the heart of man 

Come thou all-seeing 

For good children . 

For life which thou hast given 

Go to Calvary 

Help, Jesus, help me 

Help me, Lord 

Hold fast the word of God 

How much better 

I ask not wealth . 

Is there ambition . 

Jesus from his throne 

Let no foul passion 

No Christian for the sake 

No more of toil 

Often into folly 

Olive call too mind 

On the world's wild bosom 

O wonderful, amazing love 

Refuge of the troubled spirit 

Scarce ceased to shed . 

See how the little busy bee 

Sweet pleasure blasts 

The Lord my shepherd 

The mighty God . 

Tis vain to say 

Whate'er God does 

What sinners value 

Will God who clothes 



Page. 
138 
24 3 
220 
182 

<>o 
206 

52 
166 

44 
128 

50 
154 
I! 12 
115 

72 
123 
135 
234 
[68 

r»4 

174 
24 
196 
161 
145 

77 
120 
111 
1<>8 
173 

96 



GENERAL INDEX. 






Affliction, 90, 184, 193, 197. 

Angels, appear to the shepherds, 14,46; to Jesus, 18; the guar- 
dians of children, 1 % 2!>. 174 ; one appeared to J. in the garden, 
35 ; to Mary, 46 ; rolled away the stone, 40, 235. See spirits. 

Apostles or Missionaries chosen, 23 ; sent forth, 25 ; their profes- 
sion of belief, 26. Compare 40, 238. See disciples. 

Ascension of Jesus, 40, 237. 

Authors quoted, see Note I. 

Baptism of Jesus, 17, 55. 

Benevolence, 154, 155. See love. 

Bethany, 20. 30, 31, 33, 40, 238. 

Bethlehem, 13, 14,15,47,51. 

Bible, in esteem, 53 ; how, often treated, h7; reflections about 
it, 126 ; references to, see the contents. Compare 240, follow- 
ing ; also under Gospel, and Note IIL 

Birth of Jesus, 13, 14 ; reflections on, 45. 

Bonaparte's testimony to the excellence of the Gospel, 248. 

Blasphemy, Jesus accused of, 30, 36. 

Burial of Jesus, 30. 

Capernaum, 10, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26. 

Care, relief from, 00. 

Childhood of Jesus, 13, 51. 

Children of Bethlehem slain, 15; the love of Jesus for, 31, 204 ; 
to be diligent, 161, 217; guarded by angels, 130, 174 ; their 
praise, 188; example in humility, 101. 

Christians, who are, 107 ; as to pleasures, 175. See disciples. 

Conduct, consistency of, 71; of a believer, 105; to others, 107, 
113,114,116; to enemies, 110, 155 ; in general, 123. See pa- 
rents. 

Confessions, 40, 56, 104. 

Confidence in God, 75, 01, 03, 105. 

Crucifixion, 35. Compare, 220. 

Death, of Jesus, 35, 220 ; his escapes from, 15, 20, 20, 30 ; reflec- 
tions on, 167. 

Deception, 87. Compare 60, 210, and hypocrisy. 

Dependence, on God. See providence and confidence. 

Diligence, 160, 181,217. 

Disciples chosen, 18,23; zeal of two, 20 ; to be one, what neces- 
sary, 30, 31. See apostles and Christians. 

Duty often difficult, 178, 



264 central index: 

on his virtue do his last sufferings and death. 

229; on his resurrection. 2:)5 ; on his ascension. 837; on bia 

person in general, 240. 
Religion, nofl a gloomy thing, 175. 
Resolves 120, 173, 1-:), 184, 192, I 

Resurrection, 33 31, 

Rewards, promised the disciples, 31 ; law of, 78 
Sabbath, 22, 23, bath-school, 71. Compare 236. 

Samaritans. 'Jit. 'J. » ; the merciful one, 1^5,222. 
Sermon on the .Mount. 21, 29, 64, 

Servants, with dillercnt talents, 151 ; the hard one, etc.. 1' 
Sinners, 24, 143 ; in a fearful conflict. 254. 
Socrates and Jesus compared in death, 248. 
Spirits, a wicked one tempted Christ. lJ* ; cast out. 25; good I 

and bad, 57. See angels. 
Sun, the, used as a comparison, 127, 177, 187. 
Sheep, the lost, Jesus came to save, 49, 172 
Shepherds, their visiting Jesus, 14,46. 
Scourging of Jesus, 37. 
Star seen by wise men, 14, 15, 47. 

Supper, the last. 34 ; Lord's instituted, 34. Comparo 23J 
B wearing, 69, 86. Compare 12:$. 
Temperance, 121 . 

Temptation of Jesus. 18,57 . how to meet, 59, 71. Compnri I 
Temple, the, 1G, l!>. 2-. 33, \S ; doings of Jesus in, 189. 
Transfiguration, 28. Compare 209. 250. 
Vineyard, the laborers in. [59. 
Virtues of Jesus, 203 ; friendship for children, 204; piety. 207 ; 

zeal in. 209 ; in prayer, 210; in praise, 214 ; in diligence, 217 : 

love of truth, etc., 219 ; compassion for man, 221 ; com pan 

32. 1 87 ; humility, 224; a true friend, 225; dying love and 

confidence in God, 229: in regard to enemies, 228, 230 : to bis 

mother, 232. 
Watchfulness, 121 . 
Widow's son of Nain, 24, 181.222; widow and anjuat judge, 163 

how a widow often treated^ by children, 232. 
Wine, made out of water, 19. Compare. 175. 
Wise men from the Bast, 14, 47. 
Young man, the case of, 31, 105. 
Youths, disobedient ones, etc., 148; a rash one, 62; a prod:. 

144; an obstinate one. 157 ; youth of Jesus. 16, 
Zeal, of Jesus in piety, 209. 



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